


Elements

by auburnimp



Category: Weiß Kreuz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Historical, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-10
Updated: 2013-02-13
Packaged: 2017-11-28 20:17:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/678486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auburnimp/pseuds/auburnimp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Feudal Japan the Elemental Vessels take on the evil Warlord Takatori Reiji and his monstrous sons before having to face an even greater threat to all humanity and one of the Elemental Adepts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Fujimiya Ran sat, cross-legged, on the wooden floor, head bowed over the sheathed katana that rested across his thighs. The blood-red stone on its hilt seemed to wink up at him, reminding him of the burden and blessings he had taken on with his agreement to become a Vessel for the element of Fire. Now he had to face the other three elemental Vessels to see if they could join together to create the perfect whole. A basically shy young man, the thought almost terrified him. Supposing he wasn’t strong enough or they didn’t mesh, as they should? 

He drew in a deep breath and remembered the reasons why he had agreed to try to wield the Fire weapon. The quest he had to avenge his dead parents and sister. To take up arms both physical and metaphysical against the evil warlord Takatori Reiji. 

It was time to go. He rose gracefully to his feet and took his leave of the four elderly wise men that had helped him find this path. Then, without a backward glance, he headed towards a particular flower shop in the capital city. 

* * * * * * * 

"Here he comes!" 

Omi’s excited voice reached into the shop drawing Ken and Yohji to the door. They gazed up the street to see a tall young man with hair the color of blood and a long katana at his side. He was dressed in a simple kimono and hamaka both black, white undergarments and a cotton haori also black. He stopped upon seeing them seemingly unsure of how to proceed. Omi rushed forward, a smile on his face, his hands outstretched. 

"Welcome," he greeted excitedly. "I am Tsukiyono Omi, Vessel of Air." His smile slipped a little when the redhead stepped back a pace, one hand on the hilt of his katana. A wary look came into the stranger’s icy lilac eyes. 

"I am... I am the Vessel of Fire," he said uncertainly. He seemed to notice the almost stricken look in Omi’s huge blue eyes for he then said, "Gomen, I am not very good with strangers." Omi brightened again almost immediately. 

"That’s okay," he said. "Doubtless you’ll get used to us in time and then we won’t be strangers, ne? This is Hidaka Ken, he’s Earth, and this is Kudoh Yohji who is, of course, Water." The newcomer nodded his head politely but said nothing. 

Omi’s expressive face fell again, as he tried to find a way to put their new addition at ease. He was at a loss as to how to proceed with such a shy, cold-seeming young man. Before anything came to mind, matters were taken out of his hands. 

Ken jumped forward, his face twisted with anger, and knocked the newcomer to the ground. "Who the hell do you think you are? Omi’s done nothing to you. There’s no reason why you should upset him like that!" 

Rage flared immediately in the unusual eyes and the stranger jumped to his feet and smashed a fist into Ken’s face forcing the brunette to stagger back a step or two. 

Omi glanced beseechingly at Yohji, who stood with his back to the doorway, an amused expression on his handsome face. The Water Vessel merely shrugged. 

"Let them get it out of their system, kiddo," he suggested. Omi frowned at this blasé attitude and turned his attention back to the fight. Both Ken and the Fire Vessel were giving as good as they got and it was turning into quite a nasty little fight. Neither man seemed prepared to give an inch, jumping back up immediately if they were knocked down. 

Omi stamped his foot. "Yohji-kun, do something!" 

Finally Yohji stepped forward just as both fighters got in simultaneous good hits and knocked each other out. 

Omi glared at him. "Well, thank you for being so useful!" He had the minor satisfaction of seeing the Water Vessel’s eyes widen in surprise at his angry tone. 

"Should we just leave them there, or shall I turn the hose on them?" he inquired. Omi frowned at him. 

"We can’t just leave them in the street, Yohji-kun," he protested. Yohji sighed. 

"Fine," he snapped, "you take care of Ken while I deal with the new guy." So saying he bent down and hauled the newcomer over his shoulder and carried him through the shop and into the house at the back. 

Omi knelt by Ken’s side wanting to slap the unconscious man himself. He restrained the urge and shook him back to wakefulness instead. 

* * * * * * * 

Yohji climbed the stairs and deposited the Fire Vessel on his bed, his room being behind the first door he came to. The man sighed slightly and snuggled into the blankets, murmuring something unintelligible. Yohji sighed again and sat down on a chair to watch over the unconscious man. 

There was simply no getting past the sheer loveliness of the young man on his bed. Only the almond-shaped slant of his eyes spoke of his Japanese blood. The hair and eye colour along with the creamy skin were pure gaijin. The overall effect was totally stunning and Yohji felt a slight stirring in his loins at the sight. 

The redhead moaned softly and tossed and turned a little. "Aya," he muttered making Yohji wonder who the girl might be, a lover, perhaps, or a sister, who could tell? A few moments later the violet eyes opened and narrowed slightly. 

"Where am I?" 

"In my bed," Yohji said calmly. "I really couldn’t be bothered to carry you all the way down the hall to yours. I’m Yohji, by the way." 

The redhead merely glared at him and climbed off the bed, obviously a prelude to heading for the door. 

"Talkative aren’t you?" 

The man stopped and turned to look at him. "No," he said simply. 

Yohji frowned but tried again. "So, do you happen to have a name?" 

"Not one that matters anymore." 

"Hmm. Perhaps I should call you Aya then." The redhead stiffened at the sound of the name on Yohji’s lips before he visibly forced himself to relax again. 

"Fine," he said curtly, "call me Aya if you wish. It’ll do." Then he was gone and Yohji felt strangely lonely. 

He shook the feeling off after a moment or two and wandered back down to the shop to see how the other two were doing. Omi was bending over Ken and from the expression on the boy’s face, he wasn’t happy with his brunet friend. "That was hardly a proper welcome, Ken-kun," he was saying sternly. Yohji chuckled in remembrance. 

"It was exactly the same welcome I got from Ken. What makes our fiery friend so special?" Omi glanced up at him, frowning slightly. 

"Do you have any idea of how rare it is to find a Vessel for Fire, Yohji-kun?" he demanded. 

"No rarer than any of the rest of us, at a guess." 

"No, its much rarer. After I was chosen by Air, I studied all the ancient texts I could find on the subject of Vessels. There are potential Vessels for Air, Earth and Water in the world at nearly all times. Potential Vessels for Fire come along only once in every ten or twelve generations and even then they don’t necessarily pass the initiation test. The stone in that sword has burnt the hand of several failures in the past. This is the first time that a Vessel has been found for Fire in over two thousand years!" 

"Well I guess that puts me in my place!" Yohji said wryly. Ken chuckled at the comment which was a mistake as Omi turned angry eyes back to him. 

"And as for you, Ken-kun...he could have killed you with a thought, you baka!" Both Ken and Yohji widened their eyes at that. 

"He’s really that dangerous?" Yohji asked, remembering his own teasing of the redhead and swallowing hard. 

"Fire is the most unstable of all the elements. It needs fine control and great strength to harness, to become a Vessel for it. If you enrage our new friend too much, he may well lose that control." 

Beside him, Ken managed to look somewhat abashed. "I’m sorry, Omi, I didn’t think," he said. "I just saw him upsetting you and I had to act." 

Omi made a small sound of impatience and rolled his eyes. "Much as I appreciate your over-protective urges, Ken-kun, I really don’t need them. Now, if you’re able to stand, perhaps we should re-open the shop!" 

* * * * * * * 

Back in his own room, Aya removed the katana from his obi and placed it reverently on its stand before unpacking the rest of his pitifully few possessions. While he placed his clothes in the cedar chest provided, his thoughts strayed to the other Vessels. 

Omi seemed to be talkative and possibly far cleverer than his youth suggested. Aya guessed him to be about sixteen though he was still quite short for his age. He also guessed that the boy wasn’t above using those wide, innocent eyes to get what he wanted. Aya marked the Air Vessel down as being very bright, very dangerous and plainly used to getting his own way due to his enhanced manipulative skills. 

Ken was an obvious hothead, acting without thought. Aya smiled slightly as he realized what had set Ken off. He was highly protective of young Omi even though he was probably only two or three years older. But then, it would make sense for sensual Earth to think about the boy as more than a friend. The thought made Aya frown slightly. Did Ken see him as a rival for Omi’s affections? He shook his head. No, the thought was ludicrous and besides, he had no time for such things. 

And that neatly and instantly brought his thoughts to Yohji. The Water Vessel was both beautiful and languorous which was to be expected. What was unexpected was the hidden strength in that lanky body. Equally unexpected was Aya’s reaction to hearing his assumed name uttered in that husky voice. He pushed the thought away angrily. He was not going to be taken in by Water’s wiles! 

He swiftly finished unpacking his meagre belongings and made his way down to the shop to find out what they expected of him. 

* * * * * * * 

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, hazel eyes snapped open in a frowning, gaijin face. "Fire has been found and joined the other Vessels. This could make life very much more interesting." 

The other man in the room, another gaijin with long red-gold hair, smirked. "The powers that be must consider Essett dangerous enough to pit the Vessels against us. The first such threat for more than two millennia." 

"Don’t be so sure, Schuldig," the first gaijin said, holding up a hand, "I have seen the whole Balance wobbling. There are others involved who would topple the Balance over into Chaos." 

"I thought that was our job." 

"No, we merely need to tip the Balance enough to allow the Elders’ plans for their ceremony to come to fruition. I am sensing a third force that wishes to bring an end to humanity, as we know it. We may even have to aid the Vessels from time to time." 

"That might be fun. All four of them have very interesting minds. I would love to toy with them." 

"Only when and if I say that you can." Schuldig’s face fell and the smirk became a pout. 

"Awww! You’re no fun at all, Brad!" 

"Don’t worry, Schuldig, you will get your fun. Though not necessarily with the Vessels. With them, our future is far too entwined. It would be wise not to make enemies of them if possible." No, they needed them as allies. 

"We work for the Takatori clan, and they won’t tolerate the appearance of the Vessels in their plans." 

"I know, and the new Fire Vessel has cause to hate them, Reiji especially. If we don’t want their enmity we will need to tread very carefully indeed." 

Schuldig stared at him, a bemused expression in his blue eyes. "Why do I get the feeling that you’re hiding things from me?" 

Brad Crawford frowned slightly. Sometimes his lover and friend was far too observant for his own good. 

"The Vessels being in the world seems to change things more than I’d realized," he said eventually. "My visions have changed completely. Schu, it is imperative that we don’t make enemies of them or allow harm to come to them. It may be the very reason why we are in the world." The blue eyes widened but Schuldig said nothing. The years had taught him to trust Crawford’s visions. 

Crawford nodded as he saw his partner’s acquiescence. It was enough for now. There was no way that he could trust Schuldig’s temperament with the rest of his vision. 

It would be best to keep the possible future of freedom to himself until he was certain he, or possibly the Vessels, could make it happen.


	2. Chapter 2

Kudoh Yohji was putting the finishing touches to an ikebana arrangement, his mind drifting back to his days as a ninja. He had teamed up with a female ninja called Asuka, who had been especially good with a tanto or the shuriken. She had been vicious and passionate and Yohji had loved her until the day she had died, struck down by a shuriken thrown by a ninja in the employ of their target. Yohji had fallen to pieces and left the ranks of the organization. 

He had wandered aimlessly for a while until his steps had been directed towards the mountain fastness of four aged magi. They had offered him succour and food and had spoken about the elemental Vessels. Yohji had been fascinated and had jumped at the chance to test for suitability. 

He had been taken to a bubbling mountain stream. In the middle of it lay a bracelet set with a stone of cobalt blue. Yohji had fallen in love with the trinket and waded into the stream to fish it out. The stone glowed with cold fire as soon as he touched it and there was an audible click. Examining it further, Yohji found a silvery wire hidden in a recess behind the stone. He drew some out, realizing it was the perfect garrotte, his ninja weapon of choice. 

The magi had directed him to the flower shop where he had met up with Ken and Omi. He smiled, as he recalled receiving a very similar welcome from Ken as Aya had. 

Aya. He kept being distracted by thoughts of the crimson-haired Fire Vessel. For a supposedly warm element to have chosen such a cold man… 

His thoughts were interrupted very suddenly by the onset of a splitting headache and a series of rapid images that had him clutching his head and moaning aloud. 

* * * * * * * 

Takatori Masafumi was extremely dissatisfied with the pitiful scrap of land that his warlord father had given him to lord it over. Takatori Reiji was a fool in his second son’s opinion. He simply couldn’t be brought to see the big picture, that there was more to the world than just Japan, that the world needed a strong leader. That leader would, of course, be him. Hadn’t his beautiful creatures promised him that he would rule the world? 

The four girls looked human, but Masafumi knew better. His beloved Schrient had been enhanced by his magical experiments and were now either goddesses or elementals, he wasn’t entirely sure which, working for his glory. There was no samurai warrior serving him that could best any one of them. The thought made Masafumi giggle. Even innocent seeming Tot could take out the best of them. And he didn’t need the private army that his father surrounded himself with. In fact, he would be happy if his four beauties would dispose of all the samurai warriors around them. That way his father couldn’t spy on his plans. The thought was just too good not to be turned into action so he beckoned the silent one, Neu, to his side. 

"It is time the five of us were alone for a while, my pretty," he told her. Her thin lips stretched into a smile of agreement. 

"Go, get your sisters together and arrange it," he said. Neu turned without a word and left, silent as a ninja. 

* * * * * * * 

Takatori Hirofumi wore a distinctly worried frown as he listened to what Schuldig had to say. "All of them?" he demanded. 

Schuldig nodded, careful to keep the customary smirk off his face. That was nowhere near as hard as it might normally have been. It was not easy on the mind of a telepath to feel twenty warriors snuffed out at a stroke. Twenty minds gone in seconds. He was still recovering from the shock. 

Hirofumi turned to the other person present. "And how do I explain to my father that my younger brother now appears to be totally defenceless?" 

"With all due respect, sir, you don’t," Brad Crawford told him. 

Hirofumi stared at Crawford. "Oh, and why not?" 

"Because that’s all part of our job," Crawford said soothingly. 

*It is?* Schuldig was far from happy at that idea and he let his unhappiness show in his mind voice. 

*Be silent, Schuldig or I’ll make you the messenger!* Schuldig’s shields came up immediately and with an almost audible clang. 

* * * * * * * 

Aya rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a massive headache coming on. Something had just happened somewhere in the world that was very, very wrong. He glanced up from the ikebana he was working on to see if he was alone in believing that. Omi and Ken seemed oblivious but Yohji had suddenly clapped his hands to his head and moaned aloud. 

"Yohji-kun! What’s wrong?" Omi demanded. 

"So much pain," Yohji gasped, "so much fear and then just nothing." Aya frowned. 

"Join!" he snapped. Three pairs of eyes turned on him in shock. The redhead very seldom said anything at all let alone gave a direct order. 

"Just exactly how do we do that?" Ken asked. 

Aya sighed. He didn’t have the time to be gentle with them right now nor to explain things. He pushed out with his will and snared each mind in turn. It felt wonderful but there was no time to enjoy the sensation of Rightness and Completeness right now. 

*Yohji, follow what you felt to its source.* 

He felt it as Yohji opened his mind to the impressions he’d received. It was as if the four of them were flying at incredible speeds, over mountains and valleys until they were hovering over a minor warlord’s castle. About twenty corpses were strewn about the courtyard, all of them samurai judging by the armour, and all of them twisted grotesquely. 

*What the hell?* Yohji’s mind voice. 

*Break! And quickly!* 

There was the sensation of falling and then they were all back in their own bodies in the flower shop. 

"Gomen, but we had no time for mistakes." 

Omi was wider-eyed than normal. "I had no idea we could do that," he whispered. "How did you know, Aya-kun?" 

"I’m not entirely sure, and I’m not certain it would have worked if Yohji hadn’t also picked it up." 

"But why didn’t we stay and find out what killed them?" Ken asked. Ah, Earth, always so practical. 

"Because something was watching us," Yohji said softly, "something that wants to destroy everything, and condemn everything to total chaos." 

Aya turned to stare at the tall blond with renewed interest. So Water had sensed that too? He hadn’t considered Kudoh Yohji so sensitive before, but then, their ‘relationship’ up to now had consisted of Yohji’s constant laziness interspersed with merciless teasing and chasing after women. "Hai," he agreed. 

"Did it spot us?" Omi asked. 

"I don’t think so," Yohji said carefully, "Aya?" 

"No, we broke away in time." 

"I guess we now know why we’re here," Ken said. "Er...does anyone know exactly where we were?" 

"We went north-east," Omi said, "if travelling at the speed of thought then about eighty or ninety leagues. Takatori family country." Aya’s head came up at the mention of the name and his eyes narrowed to slits. 

"Takatori?" 

Omi nodded, not having seen his reaction. "It wasn’t a large castle so I’m guessing it was given to one of the sons, either Hirofumi or Masafumi. Takatori recently..." He stopped as Ken nudged him and indicated Aya. He must have looked positively murderous as Omi visibly wilted. "...Um, split up his holdings." 

Aya’s fist clenched around the ikebana he’d been working on, reducing the arrangement to so many broken stems and crushed petals. He turned on his heel and stormed into the house at the back of the shop. 

He didn’t stop until he reached his own room. He crossed the wooden floor to touch his hand to the katana. The red stone flared up in recognition but the weapon didn’t offer him any more insight. He even knew why that would be. He was too enraged to feel anything. He forced himself to calm down, sitting cross-legged on the floor, the katana across his lap, and doing breathing exercises in an attempt to still his mind. It was no use. He kept seeing his home burning and his family cut down before his eyes. 

"Why?" The word was choked out of him. Why hadn’t he died with the rest of the innocents in his village? Why had the weapons been unable to reach and kill him? The stone in the hilt glowed brighter than he’d ever seen before. 

*A Fire Vessel cannot be killed by normal weapons unless he wills it.* 

Aya’s eyes widened. It was as if the stone had spoken into his mind. He lunged to his feet, letting the katana fall to the floor with a clatter. 

Yohji chose that very moment to open his door and tell him the midday meal was ready. Noting the wild look in Aya’s eyes and the dropped sword, he grinned. "Your stone been talking to you?" he asked nonchalantly while examining his nails. 

Aya simply stared at him. 

"Oh don’t tell me the Lord of Fire hasn’t communed with his power stone before," Yohji teased. "I talk to mine all the time!" Aya’s startled look became a glare. 

"Well it obviously hasn’t told you anything useful yet, Kudoh!" 

"Enough to be able to trace that massacre to its source!" Yohji flashed back, green eyes becoming as hard as the emeralds they resembled. Aya nodded slowly. That much was certainly true. 

"Before today it was just insights," he found himself saying, "This time the stone spoke words directly into my mind. It was just as if you, or one of the others, had spoken in that way." 

* * * * * * * 

Yohji leaned up against the door-frame, his head spinning. Three whole sentences! He was quite convinced it was the most Aya had said at one time since joining them. 

"Yeah, it does that after a while and as long as you can clear your mind enough." His tone suggested that he thought mental silence beyond the Fire Vessel. 

"Hn," was all the response he got for that. 

"Anyway, there is food waiting," Yohji said, somewhat disappointed at Aya’s lack of reaction. He couldn’t help himself, he had this uncontrollable urge to make the cold beauty angry. Any emotion from Aya was better than none at all, even though Omi had warned him about Fire’s instability and the dangers associated with enraging its Vessel. 

He heaved himself off the wall ready for departure. Aya picked up the katana thoughtfully and replaced it on its stand before following him towards the pleasant aroma of food. 

* * * * * * * 

Takatori Reiji was enraged and when the thickset man was enraged he was also extremely dangerous as Crawford knew only too well. 

"What do you mean there are no samurai with my son, Crawford?" he demanded coldly. 

"They were wiped out in a stroke," Crawford told his boss sombrely. "Some great cataclysm." 

"And why exactly did you not foresee this?" 

"Because something shields me from your son’s castle," Crawford said, actually very worried. "There is something there that is stronger than I am even." 

"Very well, I will send more samurai." 

"With all due respect, Takatori-sama, why waste yet more men. I do know that if you send more they will meet with the same fate." 

*Much you care!* His lover’s mental voice was highly amused. 

*Shut up, Schuldig!* 

"Hmm," Takatori Reiji pondered. "What then do you suggest?" 

"That you allow us to use...er...other resources to discover exactly what is happening at your son’s holding before you commit more samurai," Crawford suggested. 

*What resources?* Schuldig was obviously confused by that suggestion. 

*Be quiet!* Crawford’s mental voice was exasperated so his telepathic lover hurriedly quieted his thoughts and simply listened to the rest of the conversation. 

Takatori thought about Crawford’s suggestion for a while before, finally nodding. "You have one month," he said sternly, "no more. Is that perfectly understood?" 

"Perfectly, sir." 

*Stupid, pompous ass!* 

*Hey! You chose to work for him. We could have stayed with the Elders.* 

One day, Crawford decided, he was going to do Schuldig a very nasty injury, if not actually kill the damned telepath.


	3. Chapter 3

Aya had to be the most stubborn, moody, infuriating, taciturn bastard that Yohji had ever had the misfortune to meet. The man wasn’t even prepared to be friendly. How they were supposed to work together as Vessels, he simply did not know. And yet, when he had joined them together as one being, it had felt so good, so right. He glanced across the shop to where the object of these thoughts was putting the last touches to a simple yet stunning arrangement for one of their regular customers. 

Long, pale hands worked deftly and Yohji suddenly wondered what it would feel like to have those hands on his body. He shook his head, completely at a loss as to where such a thought had come from. He liked women! Uh huh, and what about that little experiment with his ninja trainer when he was fifteen? Hadn’t he enjoyed that? Yes, but this was Aya in his thoughts. Aya was The Iceberg, the Rock. He should have been Earth or Water, not Fire. 

As if aware of his scrutiny, Aya glanced up from his work and looked straight at the Water Vessel. The amethyst eyes narrowed slightly before widening. 

*Kami-sama, can he read my thoughts?* 

*Only when you are shouting, as you are now.* Aya’s mental voice was calm if a little confused sounding. 

* * * * * * * 

Yohji flushed hotly and almost ran from the shop. Aya smiled maliciously to himself and finished his arrangement calmly. So, Kudoh Yohji wasn’t quite as girl crazy as he liked to pretend, ne? But why he should be the object of the Water Vessel’s lust, he wasn’t quite sure. He wiped his hands and placed the arrangement on the counter, ready for collection. His thoughts strayed back to the tall Water Vessel. Yohji was very attractive but Aya found his constant teasing irksome. He was also lazy, arrogant and loud. So why did Aya dream about making him moan in pleasure? He shook his head to clear it. There was no point in letting his quarry know his lustful thoughts were in part reciprocated. At least, not yet, not until Aya was certain that it would last for more than one frenzied night. 

Aya had never had any problems at all with his own preference for men. Oh there had been a couple of girls when he was younger, but their soft bodies had not really satisfied him. Then a wandering minstrel had come to the village, a beautiful, sloe-eyed creature with brown limbs and raven hair and Aya had been besotted. They had come face to face in his father’s barn and Aya had been given precisely what he had craved. All thoughts of women had been banished from his mind forever. After the destruction of his life, however, he had ignored his libido except for odd moments when the tension had become too much and masturbation had been a necessary evil. 

He was brought out of his reverie by the shop door. He glanced up, thinking it was the customer coming to call for her arrangement only to find he was staring into the pale blue eyes of a tall gaijin with long, untidy red-gold hair. 

"Can I help you?" he asked politely then froze as the stranger attempted to get into his mind. Both seemed equally surprised to find that he couldn’t do so. 

"Who are you?" Aya demanded, his hostility apparent in his tone. 

"Now, now, don’t burn yourself out," the stranger retorted with a smirk. "You are the Fire Vessel, are you not? I am here to put a little proposition to you all." 

"I’m listening." 

"Good. You know, of course, about the massacre of samurai on the Takatori estate. My associates and myself are concerned as to its cause. We wondered if you would be prepared to look into it for us." 

"Your associates?" Omi’s quiet voice interrupted from the door into the house. "What associates?" 

"That would be us. I am Crawford." A tall, black-haired and bespectacled gaijin stood at the doorway with two others, a slim boy with dark hair and dark blue eyes who was even younger than Omi and the only Japanese in their group and a platinum blond man with an eye-patch over one golden eye and an obvious predilection for knives. 

"And you are?" The Air Vessel was nothing if not tenacious. 

"Not dissimilar to yourselves," Crawford’s voice was smooth, "but instead of being Vessels, we are Adepts. Nagi," indicating the young boy, "for example, controls the Wind and can move things with a thought. We use the elements without channelling them." 

"To what purpose?" Aya asked. 

"Now there I would have to say for our own purposes," Crawford said. "At this time, however, I have foreseen that we have a common purpose. Twenty warriors dead at a stroke, killed unnaturally. We want to know what killed them." 

"Why?" Ken had come forward and spoke for the first time. 

"Because they worked for our boss." 

Aya almost smiled. Twenty less samurai in his enemy’s army was a good thing in his eyes. "We have no interest in you or your boss," he said coldly. 

"Wait a moment, Aya." Yohji had rejoined them and was now adding to the discussion. "Those men died so...strangely, so painfully. We ought to find out what killed them, at least." 

Aya shot him a glare only to find Omi nodding his agreement. He turned back to the gaijin and his group. 

The orange-haired one spoke first. "I felt that, too," he said, "it hurt. When you can hear the thoughts of almost everyone, twenty being wiped out so suddenly and so painfully leaves a void." 

"When has your boss ever cared about the taking of life?" Aya demanded hotly. 

"Such hatred," Crawford noted, "where does it come from?" 

"A whole village snuffed out at a stroke," Aya retorted. "Did you feel that? Did that leave a void?" 

"Deaths in battle are not the same," the telepath responded, "What I felt was not death in battle." 

"Battle?" Aya was incredulous. "Do children do battle then?" The telepath merely shrugged. 

"This gets us no further forward," Crawford snapped irritably. "Do the four of you want to know what is going on or not?" 

"Yes, we do," Omi said quietly, "but whoever is lord of that holding must have been a willing participant." Crawford’s hazel eyes widened in shock at his words. 

"Why?" he demanded. 

"Obvious really," Omi said. "If he wasn’t, then he would be amongst the dead. Perhaps you should tell your boss that." 

A distinctly wary look came into Crawford’s eyes. He cursed softly and strode out of the shop. The boy and one-eye followed him, leaving the telepath alone with the Vessels. 

"Our boss won’t like that piece of news one little bit," he said. Then he smirked at Aya. "What a shame!" Then he too was gone. 

"Well! What do you make of that?" Ken asked explosively. Omi was staring at the door then he turned to Aya. 

"Your village?" he asked quietly. Aya nodded mutely his head bowed. 

"We still need to know what did this, Aya," Omi said gently, "even if it does help Takatori." 

"Wait a minute," Yohji said suddenly. "If his son was involved in this that’s got to hurt him." Aya turned to stare at the Water Vessel. His words helped, just a little. 

"There’s something else, too," Omi said. "Why do you think our stones were attached to weapons? The elements obviously intend us to fight at some point." Behind him Ken made a satisfied sound. 

"The question is," Yohji said, "just who or what are we supposed to fight?" 

"Takatori, of course," Aya spat out. 

"Not necessarily, Aya," Omi said quietly. "I think our first battle may well be with who or what killed those samurai." 

Aya made a disgusted sound and strode through the back of the shop and into the house. 

"Uh oh," he heard Yohji say, perfectly serious for once, "I think we may just have a problem, chibi." 

* * * * * * * 

"Ah, my beautiful girls!" 

Takatori Masafumi was well pleased with the successful annihilation of twenty of his father’s spies. He had gathered the perpetrators around him, four beautiful young women or so they seemed. 

"We need to move on to the next stage," Hel, a raven-haired beauty said quietly. "You need far more land than just this patch of wilderness if you are to be a powerful warlord in your own right." 

"Yes, yes! You are, as ever, perfectly right, Hel," Masafumi agreed. "Who is our nearest neighbour?" 

"That would be your brother, Hirofumi," the blonde girl, Schoen, said. Masafumi grinned evilly. 

"Never did much like him anyway," he said quietly and laughed. 

* * * * * * * 

"According to our sources, Takatori-sama, your son would have needed to either be aware of what was happening or be one of the dead." 

"Indeed?" Takatori Reiji was a thickset man in his early fifties. His hair had faded from its original black and his temples were almost white. None of these signs of age detracted from his obvious strength and skill as a leader. 

In Crawford’s opinion the man’s only weakness was his sheer stupidity in making enemies of so many people, especially one of the Vessels. Keeping his reflections to himself, he bowed and nodded. 

"And is he dead?" 

"No sir." 

"Then get him here. I wish to speak to him." 

"I will arrange a messenger at once." He turned to leave. 

Takatori sat forward in his chair and called him back. "Crawford! What killed them?" 

"That I would be hard put to tell you sir, but rest assured, I am still endeavouring to find out." 

Takatori nodded. "Thank you," he managed. 

* * * * * * * 

The meeting between father and son was not a happy one. Masafumi was full of false bravado whilst Reiji demanded to know what had happened to his samurai. 

Nagi stood behind Reiji with Crawford, Schuldig and Jei. Ranged behind Masafumi were four women. Women that Jei had written off as tawdry dolls. Nagi wasn’t so sure. There was something about them and their master that seemed off somehow. He watched them carefully, the youngest especially. She seemed less…tainted than the other three and he felt a strong desire to get to know her better. 

At a mental prod from Schuldig he turned his attention back to what was being said. Masafumi was assuring his father that he had no idea what had happened to the samurai. 

*He’s lying, of course.* 

*Well, yes, he’s going to isn’t he? Schu, is there anything odd about his mind or those of the women with him?* 

*Nagikins, I think you might just have a point there.* 

Frowning slightly at the pet name, Nagi went back to his observations. 

* * * * * * * 

She was drowning, wanting to grow, to be whole. How she hated this. Masafumi was much kinder than her abusive Papa had been but he still touched her causing her mind to retreat into childhood, a childhood she had never actually experienced. Her eyes were drawn to the boy across the room. He was cute, she decided, though much too serious. She giggled. 

Reiji stopped speaking and glared at her. "Can’t you shut that half-wit up?" 

Suddenly afraid, she stopped giggling and gazed at the floor.


	4. Chapter 4

Aya headed straight for his room and grabbed the katana from its stand. The blood-red stone flared in his hand. 

*You need to calm yourself* 

*How can I do that, knowing what I now know?* 

*All roads eventually lead to the same destination.* 

*What is that supposed to mean?* 

*That you and your enemy are fated to meet again. The outcome depends on the journey taken to reach it.* 

Aya bowed his head, his long ear tails trailing across the sheath of the Fire Weapon. *What should I do?* 

*You must concede to the request made today. You must seek out and destroy whatever killed the samurai.* 

"Why must I do this?" Aya was so agitated that the words were almost shouted both mentally and verbally. 

*Because if you don’t the world will come to an end and humanity will cease to exist.* 

The stone went dark again and Aya stared at it in horror. 

He couldn’t stay in the room with it any longer and almost ran into the kitchen where he found the other three Vessels comparing notes. He stopped in the doorway and took a deep breath. Omi glanced up at him, his face very serious. 

"It would seem we have a problem," he began, peering at Aya from the corner of his blue eyes. Aya remained silent under his scrutiny. 

"Has your stone also been talking about the end of the world as we know it?" Ken asked. Omi nodded unhappily. 

"If this thing is so powerful, how are we supposed to destroy it?" Yohji wanted to know. 

Aya recovered enough from his own shock to shoot him a contemptuous look. "You were given a weapon, even if you do only wear it as a pretty bracelet with which to charm the girls!" 

Yohji glared at him in return. "Yes, and I know exactly how to use it! Can the same be said of that pig sticker you were given?" 

Aya’s gaze changed from contemptuous to full death level glare in an instant. "Do you wish to find out...the hard way?" 

At this point the Air Vessel intervened, having finally lost patience with both of them. "Kami-sama! Would you two please find a bed somewhere and get this out of your systems!" Both Aya and Yohji turned to stare at him while Ken chuckled in the background. Omi blushed but remained adamant. "The sooner you both realize just how much the four of us share without meaning to the better." 

Yohji recovered enough to chuckle deeply. "It may have escaped your notice, chibi, but he’s the wrong gender!" 

Aya’s scowl deepened. Arrogant bastard! As if he would... "What makes you think that I would be like one of your sluttish women?" Ah, but you would, a small voice was saying in his head. 

Yohji turned to stare at him, obviously in shock. "You mean you would consider it at all?" 

"We’re getting off the point here," Omi said quickly before Aya could explode and kill the Water Vessel. "We need to find out what caused those deaths!" 

"And soon," Ken added, "Before whatever it is strikes again." 

Aya nodded his agreement while Omi said, "Before we can hope to overcome whatever it might be, we need to hone our own skills. We were all given weapons that suit us and that we can use but we have done nothing to enhance the magical side of our attack. Aya is still learning exactly what it means to be a Vessel and the rest of us had no idea of what we could achieve with him present. We need to practice Joining as One and our own individual element’s talents. As I understand it to perform magically requires first the idea or Mind which is my job, then the performing or Action, Ken-kun, which has to be fed by emotion or Feeling which is where Yohji-kun comes in, and directed by personality or Will which is Aya-kun’s specialty. Did you say something Yohji-kun?" 

"Not really," Yohji said nonchalantly. "I was merely wondering out loud how Fire came to choose Mr. Personality here in the first place!" 

"Is that an example of your feeling?" Aya shot back at the Water Vessel. 

Omi buried his head in his hands while Ken finally lost his temper. "Could you both just grow up and take this seriously?" 

Aya eyed Yohji warily but both of them subsided after muttering a few insults at each other. The issue at hand was more important than their personal differences. 

"Thank you," Omi said with real gratitude. "Aya-kun, can any one of us create the Join or does it have to be you?" 

"I was told that any of us can do it, but that it does need to be practiced." 

Omi’s sunny smile reappeared. "Then perhaps all the other stuff can be done by the group mind," he suggested tentatively. 

Aya thought about that for a moment or two before nodding slowly. "That would make sense." 

"Okay, so let’s get an early night tonight and start practicing immediately after sunrise, before breakfast," Omi suggested, pointedly ignoring Yohji’s groan. 

"Early night? Kudoh Yohji does not do early nights! Besides, I’m meeting the baker’s daughter later." 

"No, Yohji-kun, you are not," Omi said emphatically, "not tonight at least." 

Yohji opened his mouth to speak but shut it again very quickly when Ken muttered, "You heard him." 

Aya chuckled softly. "Sounds like the baker’s daughter had a lucky escape!" 

Yohji’s frown turned into a glare of his own and he jumped to his feet knocking over his chair in the process. "Would you care to discuss this outside?" 

"Gladly," Aya agreed and stood up himself, much more gracefully. 

* * * * * * * 

Ken opened his mouth to argue as the Fire and Water Vessels left the kitchen. Omi’s hand reached across the table to touch his. "No, Ken-kun, they need to work this out between them. We cannot interfere." 

Having the sudden desire to see how well the other two Vessels could fight, Omi stood up and took hold of Ken’s hand. Dragging his mystified lover with him he ran outside to watch. 

He arrived in the courtyard just in time to see Yohji turn quickly and lash out a fist. Aya managed to dodge most of the blow but the knuckles grazed his cheek. Glaring now he moved in, apparently using his kendo training to get under Yohji’s guard and land a foot in his solar plexus. The Water Vessel staggered slightly but did not go down, instead charging in again and slamming Aya back against a pillar. Quick as light Aya raised joined hands and brought both of them down hard on the back of Yohji’s neck. 

The fight quickly degenerated quickly after that, in Omi’s opinion, until both men were rolling on the ground, each getting the occasional punch or kick in. He and Ken stood well to one side watching the proceedings with a great deal of interest. 

"Do you see this ending any time soon?" Ken asked. 

Omi shook his head. "No," he said with a chuckle. "They’re far too evenly matched and there’s too much they need to work out." He slipped a hand into Ken’s. "I think we should simply leave them to it. They’re too well matched to do each other any real harm." 

"And if they go for their weapons?" 

"They won’t, the Elements won’t let them do that. Come on Ken-kun, let’s go to bed." 

The two younger Vessels disappeared back into the house without a sound. 

* * * * * * * 

In the meantime, Aya had managed to pin Yohji down and was straddling him while holding the taller man’s wrists against the ground. Yohji bucked a couple of times but was unable to shift him. He stared down at Yohji appraisingly, wondering if he was going to try anything further. "Do you concede?" 

"Hell no," Yohji barked, and started struggling again. Aya let Yohji tire himself and lie back on the ground in frustration before leaning forward and kissing him. Yohji’s green eyes widened in shock and his mouth opened, effectively letting Aya’s probing tongue into the warmth behind his teeth. 

He tasted delicious but Aya pulled back, smiling slightly. "Seems like that’s the only way to shut you up." 

Yohji’s brows came together in a frown. "What’s that supposed to mean?" 

Aya merely shrugged, considering his comment obvious. 

Yohji stared up at him and suddenly went very still. "I...," he began. 

Aya’s brows rose in inquiry and some demon of mischief made him prompt the Water Vessel. "You…?" 

"Kami-sama, get off of me!" Yohji’s voice held a thread of panic. 

"And if I don’t want to?" 

"Aya, please, I...I..." 

"You don’t like men." Aya had known it but it still disappointed him. 

"No, it’s not that exactly. I’m just too...dominant to be in this position." 

"Have you ever tried?" He was genuinely curious by now. 

"Just the once. When I was about Omi’s age or maybe a year younger. I sort of liked it but it hurt." 

"Then your lover didn’t do it properly. That’s a shame." He climbed off Yohji and held out a hand to him. The blond grasped it and pulled himself to his feet. 

"I could happily live with _you_ in that position." 

Aya chuckled softly. Of course he could, it was what he was used to. "I’m sure you could, but that privilege would have to be earned. You’d have to prove to me that you were man enough." Still chuckling softly to himself Aya turned and walked back towards the house. 

Yohji caught up with him within a couple of strides. "How would I go about proving that?" 

Aya stopped and thought about the question for a few seconds. "By treating me as a man and not another of your women. We would have to be equals, Yohji." 

Yohji was gazing at him strangely. "Teach me," he whispered, "please." 

He stared back at Yohji, wishing that they didn’t need to rest for the morning’s exertions. There had been real need, genuine emotion in the Water Vessel’s voice and he felt himself respond to it. "Very well, Yohji, but not tonight. We need to sleep. Tomorrow will be a very tiring day for us all." 

He was surprised at how much it had cost him to say those words, how hard it was not to simply drag Yohji off to his bed and show him what another man would want from him. He swallowed hard before speaking. "Good night, Yohji." Then he turned and walked away before he could change his mind.


	5. Chapter 5

The four Vessels met at breakfast the next morning, if not exactly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, at least awake. After a simple meal of rice balls and miso soup they assembled in the courtyard. 

"Okay," Aya said, "we know I can join us at will, now lets see if Omi can." 

Omi stared at the Fire Vessel, his blue eyes even wider than they usually were in an expression that obviously said ‘why me?’ 

"Do you really think I can, Aya-kun?" he asked and swallowed hard. Aya merely nodded. 

Sighing slightly, Omi concentrated, reaching out with his mind to the other Vessels. Ken was easy and he was soon joined with him then he felt for the other two elements. Suddenly they were there in the group mind and Omi laughed excitedly. They broke apart and Aya turned to Ken. 

"Your turn," he said. Ken took a deep breath and reached out in turn. It took him slightly longer, but he eventually managed to join them as one mind. Again they broke apart and Aya glanced at Yohji. 

"Now you," he said. 

Yohji’s technique was a little different. Instead of reaching out to them, he gathered them into him, much as Aya had done when the samurai had been wiped out. It was both quick and effective and earned him a slight smile from the Fire Vessel. 

"Okay," Aya said slowly, "we can all join us into the group mind at will, now let’s see what we can do while joined." 

This time Aya joined them. Almost as soon as they were one mind, Ken gasped. 

*We’re being watched.* 

There was a slight jolt and Ken’s satisfaction permeated the group mind. 

*Now they can’t see us.* 

*How did you do that?* Yohji’s part of the mind demanded. 

*I’m not sure, but I know it worked.* 

*Let’s try travelling,* Aya suggested *Omi, you steer.* 

Time passed but nothing happened. They were still in the courtyard and Omi’s disappointment was apparent. 

*Where are you trying to take us?* Yohji asked. 

*Ken’s room.* 

In a blink they were there. 

*What a mess, Kenken!* 

*Shut up, Yotan! Yours is no better!* 

*Hold it,* Aya’s voice cut through. *Who brought us here?* 

*I didn’t,* Omi sent sadly. 

*It was me,* Yohji sent, *It was where Omi wanted to be.* 

There was a flicker of something that might have been amusement from Aya and suddenly they were in the shop. 

*How did we get here?* Ken wanted to know. 

*You wanted out of that pigsty you call a room,* Aya told him. *Anyway lets break for a while.* There was a slight shift and they were all back in their own bodies in the courtyard. 

"So," Aya said, "it looks like Ken protects or hides the group mind and either Yohji or I can steer it. All of us can join it." 

"So where does that leave me?" Omi asked sadly. "Apart from being able to join the mind, I seem to be excess baggage." Ken placed a comforting arm over the smaller boy’s shoulders. 

"There has to be some skill that we haven’t tried yet," he said soothingly. 

"Besides, chibi, wasn’t it you that knew which direction and how far we travelled when those samurai were killed?" Omi’s face brightened at that. Seemingly he did have a use after all. 

"Who was watching us, Ken?" Aya asked. 

"I think it was one of those ‘Adepts’," Ken told him. "I don’t really trust them so I felt it wise to hide us." 

"Good. I’m not sure of them, either," Aya said. 

There was a sudden frown from Yohji and he seemed distracted. 

"Yohji-kun?" Omi touched the Water Vessel’s arm and Yohji gave a slight start. 

"Sorry, Omitchi, were you saying something?" he asked. 

"No, I was wondering what was bothering you." Yohji frowned again. 

"I’m not sure," he said slowly, "I’ve just got a gut feeling that something is not quite as it should be somewhere." 

"Okay, let’s see if we can discover what it is," Aya suggested. He joined them again and immediately winced, as the group mind was flooded with the half-formed emotions of confusion and panic emanating from Yohji. Suddenly there was a feeling like a cool breeze and the emotions coalesced into unease linked to the destruction of the samurai. 

*Seems like whatever happened out there is about to happen again,* Ken observed. 

*No, this feels like something more focused,* Omi argued, *As if there is only one target this time but a specific one.* 

*We need to know what Takatori Masafumi’s intentions are,* was Aya’s contribution. *Yohji, where is this coming from?* 

They were above the small estate given to Takatori’s second son and were hearing a conversation that was infuriatingly garbled. Another breeze like sensation ran through the group mind and then they found they could hear the individual words. 

"We have to be careful, my lovelies," Takatori Masafumi was saying to four young and beautiful women. As the Group Mind studied each of these women in turn, Yohji’s part seemed to tense somehow. 

*No, it cannot be…* 

*Yohji-kun?* 

*Nothing, chibi, let’s listen.* 

"We can kill your brother without resorting to magic," the blonde was saying. "Just blast his samurai then sneak in and cut his scrawny little throat." 

"No, Schoen," another woman with black hair said quietly, "If we do that we will attract even more attention to Masafumi’s powers and those that he has infused us with. We need to get past the samurai." 

"How do we do that, Hel?" Schoen asked. 

"Didn’t I make a ninja one of us?" Masafumi asked rhetorically. "Neu can handle this." 

"When do you want us to leave?" Hel asked. 

"No time like the present," Masafumi replied with a grin. 

*Break!* 

The four Vessels found themselves back in their own courtyard, staring at each other as they dealt with the connotations of what they’d just heard. 

"Do we let him kill his brother?" Ken asked, glancing worriedly at Aya as he did so. 

"I felt magic there," Omi supplied. "We may give ourselves away if we interfere directly." 

Aya was torn between letting one Takatori murder another and knowing what the consequences of allowing the magician and his demon women to do so would be. His hatred battled his duty and common-sense for a while until he came up with a possible plan. 

"We get the Adepts to deal with it," he suggested. "Let them know what is happening and see if they can prevent it. They work for the Takatori after all." 

"How do we contact them?" Ken demanded. 

"I’ll do that," Aya told him and immediately concentrated on the Adept telepath. 

*Well, well, if it isn’t the Fire Vessel.* Even the man’s mental voice was smug and full of a smirk. *To what do I owe this pleasure?* 

*We need to meet and soon.* Aya sent. 

*I never knew you cared!* 

*This is no time for stupidity. Takatori Masafumi intends to have his brother murdered.* 

Suddenly Schuldig’s mental voice was all business. *When and how?* he demanded. 

*His changed women are leaving as we speak.* 

*Okay, we’ll deal with it. Thank you.* The connection was cut by the telepath. 

Aya returned to a sense of his surroundings to find Omi and Ken waiting to see what had been said and Yohji, seemingly in a world of his own. 

"They’re going to deal with it," he said. "I think we need to find out what the Elements have to say." Omi nodded his agreement. 

"Good idea," he said softly, "come on Ken-kun." The two younger Vessels headed for the house. 

"Oh and Omi," Aya called after them, "I think we discovered a couple more of your skills." The blond boy grinned before disappearing while Aya turned his attention to Yohji. 

"What happened back there?" he asked. Yohji gave a start then tried to smile. 

"What on earth do you mean?" he inquired. 

"You recognized someone in that room," Aya said, trying hard not to sound accusing. Yohji’s long body tensed and he stared at the Fire Vessel, his emerald eyes cool. It was a while before he spoke. 

"I…one of them reminded me of someone," he said finally. "But she’s dead so it was only a resemblance, nothing more. I’d better go talk to my stone." With that the tall blond walked away and disappeared into the house. Aya stood in the courtyard for a while longer knowing that the Water Vessel had not told him the whole truth and that he believed one of those women to be someone he cared about deeply. This was going to complicate matters. 

* * * * * * * 

Yohji was hiding something, Aya was certain of it. Ever since he’d seen the face of one of Takatori Masafumi’s women he had been withdrawn and thoughtful, both moods that were extremely unusual for the Water Vessel. 

Aya needed to know if Yohji’s apparent recognition of the woman was going to be a problem for them. So, armed with a bottle of sake, he knocked on the Water Vessel’s door. Yohji opened it and stared out at him. His green eyes widened in surprise upon seeing him there but he ushered him into his room nonetheless. 

"This is a surprise, Aya. Not an unpleasant one but a surprise." His eyes moved to the bottle. "You even brought sake. Now why, I wonder?" 

Aya shrugged. "I thought you might like a drink." He glanced round the room which was cluttered but comfortable and, finding a small table set down the bottle and two bowls. 

"And you want me to tell you about the woman," Yohji guessed. 

"If you think she’s likely to be a problem, then yes." 

Yohji shut the door and settled on his futon after drawing the table closer. He patted the place next to him and Aya sat down. "I’m not sure where to start…" 

"Start by pouring both of us a drink," Aya suggested. 

Yohji followed the advice and poured two generous measures of sake. He picked one up and sat back. "Before I became the Water Vessel I was a ninja," he said quietly. "We always worked in pairs and my partner was a woman called Asuka." He drank the sake in one long swallow. 

Aya reached forward for his own bowl and sipped a little of the sake. "She was your lover?" 

Yohji glanced at him and then away again. "Yes. I….cared very deeply for her, might even have loved her. It was all over when she was killed by a shuriken." 

"Yet you believe she is now one of those women at Takatori’s castle. How can she be if she’s dead?" 

"I don’t know, Aya, but I’m almost certain it is her. Not just a passing resemblance but actually her." 

"You think Takatori Masafumi can raise people from the dead?" 

"I don’t know what I think except that woman _is_ Asuka. Her body was never found, Aya. There is a chance that she was still alive and that means I left her to die." 

So he was dealing with Yohji’s guilt as well as the conviction that this Asuka was now one of Takatori Masafumi’s women. "Did you have any choice but to leave her?" 

The Water Vessel stared at him, green eyes full of unshed tears. "I was quite badly wounded. I thought I would slow her down so I told her to try to get back on her own. I saw the shuriken strike her in the back and she went down. After a while I passed out and didn’t come to until I was back at base." 

"Then it wasn’t you who left her but whoever took you back." 

"Yes, but when I told my superiors what had happened they told me that it might have been a pain-induced hallucination as no body had been found. They considered that she had gone absent without leave." 

"So what you’re saying is that woman could easily be her?" 

Yohji nodded miserably and poured himself some more sake. 

"Do you still love her?" He had to know that. There was no way he was starting anything with Yohji if he was still in love with someone else. 

"I…yes, I suppose I do." 

That answered all of his questions so Aya stood up to leave. The bitch was definitely going to be a problem. "Keep the sake," he said as he shut the door behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

Yohji sighed as the door closed behind Aya. What the hell had possessed him to say such a stupid thing? A part of him would always love Asuka, but Aya was something else again. He couldn’t stop thinking about the man and how it would feel to touch him and be touched by him. That was now extremely unlikely to ever happen. Cursing himself as a fool, Yohji finished the sake and fell back on his futon. 

He thought about the woman with Takatori Masafumi and wondered if it really was Asuka. If it was, what had happened to her in the past two years to make her go to the warlord’s son? 

Finding no answers to his questions, Yohji retreated into sleep. Strangely he dreamed of Aya. 

* * * * * * * 

Schuldig shifted nervously as he waited with Nagi to see if Takatori Masafumi would attack his brother. A sudden movement caught his eye. 

*Here they come.* 

*We see them,* Crawford’s mental voice was calm. Schuldig just hoped this little fight would play out according to his lover’s vision. 

There was no time for more thought as Masafumi’s women stalked into the courtyard where the adepts waited. There was a second of surprise, all the time Nagi needed to slam the little one into a wall and hold her there. 

Schuldig dived out to take on one of the dark-haired women and found himself up against someone with obvious ninja training. Abandoning a physical fight, he attacked mentally instead and was relieved when she fell to the cobbles, unconscious. 

The two remaining women were getting nowhere against Crawford’s visions and Jei’s speed with shuriken so they retreated, leaving the unconscious one and the little one behind them. 

*Is it just me or was that too easy?* 

*Considering I’ve got a slashed arm and Jei is covered with whip marks, I wouldn’t call that especially easy.* 

Someone wasn’t happy, Schuldig decided with a grimace. He kept his opponent unconscious until Crawford and Jei approached. 

*What do you want done with the captives?* he asked. 

*This one needs to be taken to the Vessels.* He indicated the woman that Schuldig had disabled. *Kill the other one.* 

*NO!* Schuldig, Jei and Crawford turned to stare at Nagi who had a supportive arm round his obviously frightened captive. 

Crawford sighed. "Nagi, she is not quite right in the head so she’s of no use to us or the vessels for questioning," 

"She’s just a frightened girl, Crawford," Nagi argued. 

Schuldig felt a headache coming on. *Let him keep her, Brad, unless it does any harm.* 

*I’ve seen no visions indicating that it would, but that could change.* 

Schuldig shrugged. *If it changes, we kill her. It’s not a problem and the kid needs to learn about the birds and the bees.* 

There was an amused snort from Crawford at that. "Very well, Nagi, we’ll take her with us. However, at the first sign of trouble, she dies. Do I make myself understood?" 

"Perfectly," Nagi said coldly, but he held the girl even closer, Schuldig noticed. 

Grinning slightly in amusement he toed the unconscious woman. "Nagi, we could do with some help here. I’d rather keep her unconscious until we can get her to the Vessels. That means getting her over the back of a horse…" 

Nagi gave him a really venomous look, which he ignored, and lifted the woman up into the air and over the back of Schuldig’s horse. "You carry her," the boy muttered. 

Schuldig smirked at him and mounted behind the unconscious form. He slapped the woman’s ass and turned his horse ready for the long ride to the flower shop. 

*We’ll meet you back at Reiji’s castle.* 

Schuldig smirked at his lover and nodded his understanding. Then he urged the horse forward at a canter. 

* * * * * * * 

Aya awoke to the sounds of someone banging on the door. It was still pitch dark so he could only assume that whoever their visitor was had important business with them. He felt it as the others came awake, and Joined them. 

*It’s the telepathic adept,* Ken sent, surprise evident in his mind voice. *He’s brought an unconscious woman with him.* 

A mental gasp from Yohji left Aya in no doubt as to who that woman was. *Okay, Omi, let him in.* He broke the link and dressed quickly, reaching the shop just in time to see the telepath lay the woman on one of the worktables with Omi hovering in the background. 

"Why have you brought her here?" Aya was surprised by the amount of venom in his voice as he glared down at the unconscious woman. 

The telepath actually managed to look a little uncomfortable. "Crawford thought it best," he said. "As Vessels you have more strength to hold her for questioning than we do. There is something about those women that simply isn’t right and one of Crawford’s visions showed us failing if we tried to question her." 

Ken and Yohji had turned up by this time and Yohji went straight to the unconscious woman. "Asuka," he murmured. 

The telepath gave Aya a questioning look. "Does he know her?" 

"He thinks he does." 

"Shit!" 

"Very eloquently put….what is your name anyway?" 

"Schuldig. It means ‘guilty’ in my country’s language." Schuldig was smirking as he said that, as if he’d earned the tag. 

"That figures. Did Crawford tell you to bring this particular woman here as opposed to any of the others?" 

"No, she just happened to be the one who attacked me." 

Aya sighed. He hated having to ask for any favours from the adepts, especially as he didn’t entirely trust them. "Can you check and see if he’s had any visions about this woman, please. As Yohji is so convinced he knows her." 

Schuldig’s eyes went distant for a moment or two. "Yes, he has. She’s not what she seems and she will attempt to lead you into a trap. There will be great sorrow leading to happiness. That’s all he’s got, sorry. We will let you know if anything changes, though." 

"Why are you helping us?" 

"Because right now, we need to. If that should change….well, watch your backs." 

"That was very clear." 

Schuldig was thoughtful for a moment. "I hope we never do end up on opposing sides. But if we do…" He shrugged. 

"I understand." 

"Well, I’d better get moving. I have a long ride ahead of me and I want some sleep! She’ll come round a few minutes after I’ve left. See you around, Fire Boy!" 

Schuldig left with a cheery wave at Ken and Omi. Yohji was still staring down at the woman on the table. Aya sighed. "Yohji, did you hear what he said?" 

"I heard him," Yohji said grimly, "yet she definitely is Asuka." 

The woman stirred slightly and groaned. Yohji went to touch her but Aya pulled him away. 

"Let me go you asshole! She’s in pain!" 

Aya felt his temper reach snapping point but still managed to stay calm enough to point out what Crawford’s vision had shown. "She’s NOT Asuka!" 

He made the Join and forced Yohji to look again with the other Vessels’ skills to aid him. As the group mind studied her they noticed several oddities. 

*It would be best to remain joined while we talk to her,* Omi sent. *There is something very weird about her mind.* 

*And her body,* Ken agreed. *Do you see that strange aura? That is not natural power.* 

*Yohji! Break through your own emotions and do your job!* 

He felt Yohji’s part of the mind settle and gasp quietly. *So cold! She is Asuka but not as I knew her.* 

His own power was letting him know that the woman had been enhanced from another source that was totally dark. *It’s as if she’s possessed.* 

*Then there is hope for her?* Yohji demanded. 

*I don’t know.* 

The woman sat up slowly gazing at them without any special recognition of Yohji. There was nothing human in her eyes at all, Aya noted with a shudder. 

"Who or what are you?" Omi demanded. 

The only reply was a piercing cry as the woman jumped off the table and made straight for him. Why the hell had he left his katana upstairs? He waited for the impact, ready to take her on unarmed if need be but she never reached him. Instead she was flat on the floor, rubbing at her head, with Ken standing over her. 

Aya had felt a wash of power through the group mind and suddenly realised it had been the Earth Vessel’s. *What did you do?* 

Ken scratched his head. *I’m not sure but I wasn’t about to let her attack you so I ‘pulled her back’ except I didn’t lay a finger on her.* 

*It was your power, Ken-kun. Please hold her still while I find out what I can.* 

Aya felt it as the group mind, now directed by Omi, probed the woman’s mind. It was full of cold hate for all except her ‘sisters’ and Takatori Masafumi who appeared to be the source of both her hatred and power. 

*Can we break her links to them?* Yohji asked and Aya could feel his grief as he finally realised the truth. 

*We can try,* Omi agreed. *Aya-kun, can you feed me some of your element’s will?* 

Aya felt the drain as Omi set about breaking the links. He felt Yohji’s desire for the real woman to come back also feed the Air Vessel and Ken’s solid strength pouring in also. As he watched, all the links broke, except for the very powerful one attached to Takatori. That one lessened enough for the woman to cease struggling. 

*Whatever he’s become, he’s incredibly powerful.* Omi’s mind voice sounded exhausted. 

*Try finding out what she knows.* Aya was surprised at just how exhausted he was. 

* * * * * * * 

She was free! She took a deep breath and once again stared at each of her captors in turn. Her eyes widened as she recognised one of them. 

"Y..yohji?" 

He smiled gently at her and she remembered that smile. "Asuka." 

Yes. That was right. She had been Asuka. She smiled back at him. "Thank you." 

"Are you feeling up to a few questions, sweetheart?" 

"I…yes, I suppose so." 

"What is Takatori Masafumi planning?" The voice was deep and she turned to find it was the beautiful crimson-haired man that had spoken. 

Takatori Masafumi? The name was like a blade in her mind and she stared at the crimson-haired one, hating him. He was the danger here. He was the one she had to dispose of first. 

She shook her head, letting Asuka take over again. Throw them off guard, keep them unbalanced. "I’m not really sure beyond killing his brother and possibly his father." 

Now that was an interesting reaction. It was almost as if the man wanted that to happen. But he hated Masafumi too so couldn’t be allowed to live. 

"So, it’s just land that he wants?" The man was getting annoying. 

"And power. Land is power is it not?" she said as if tired. 

Ah, poor smitten Yohji hovering so protectively by her side. Perhaps she could use that against the others. 

Masafumi’s power strengthened in her again and she came swiftly to her feet. The crimson-haired man would be the first to fall. She ran at him, screaming her hate only to be brought up short by something round her neck. 

Suddenly she was off her feet and lying on someone’s back. It made no sense. Then Asuka remembered Yohji’s skill with the garrotte but it was too late to save Neu. "Masafumi," she murmured as everything started going dark, "I love you." The last thing she heard was a scream of anguish. 

* * * * * * * 

She was free! No longer drowning. No longer Tot then? Neu…Neu was gone. The link broken, though she could still feel Masafumi and the others. She lifted her gaze as the door opened and that cute boy came in. She smiled. "What’s your name?" 

"Nagi." 

She repeated it, deciding that she liked it. She opened her mouth to say something to him when a wash of hate and grief from Masafumi and the others overwhelmed her and she was drowning again. She jumped up and tried to attack Nagi, even though a part of her didn’t want to hurt him at all, only to be held still by an invisible force. 

"Stop it! I don’t want to hurt you!" 

A man appeared at the doorway. "She has to die, Nagi. The Vessels just sent word that they’re all linked." 

"Then I’ll break the links somehow," Nagi said, glaring at the man. 

"You might succeed with breaking them to the other women but not with the demon. Even the Vessels didn’t break that one." 

There was a snapping sound in her head and Hel and Schoen were gone, just like that. But Masafumi, he frightened her. "Please," she whispered, "help me get rid of him. Stop me from drowning." 

* * * * * * * 

"He still refuses to eat anything." Two days had passed since Yohji had killed Asuka and Omi was beginning to seriously worry about the Water Vessel. 

"Damn it all, he’s got to snap out of this! We need him if we’re going to take on this…whatever the hell it is." 

Omi sighed. Ken was reacting to Yohji’s pain the same way he reacted to most things that hurt one or other of them. He was getting angry. He glanced at Aya to find him outwardly calm but as worried as the rest of them on the inside. "Aya-kun?" 

"What do you expect me to do, Omi?" 

"I don’t know. Something. He saved your life and you’ve not been near him since!" And that was strange in itself, he realised even as he made the accusation. Aya knew that Yohji had saved him yet he hadn’t acknowledged it even once. "Perhaps if you spoke to him…" 

Ken snorted. "Him? He can’t get over his own hurt pride!" 

"Ken-kun, that is hardly helpful." Sometimes he wondered if he was dealing with a bunch of children even though he was the youngest physically. He turned to Aya once more. "Please, Aya-kun, it might help." 

"Help! I’m likely to take that tray of food and ram it down his throat!" 

Oh great! Just what he needed, one in despair and the other two having tantrums! He sighed and turned to take the tray back to the kitchen. Aya’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. 

"Give me the tray." 

Omi smiled in relief and handed it over. 

* * * * * * * 

Aya wasn’t sure just what he was supposed to do or say, but he carried the tray to Yohji’s room and slid open the door. 

The Water Vessel was lying on his futon, one hand across his forehead and his eyes closed. He looked beautiful but Aya couldn’t focus on that right now. 

"Yohji?" 

The green eyes opened and Yohji looked across at him. There was accusation in his gaze but whether it was directed at Aya or himself, the Fire Vessel didn’t know. He extended the tray as explanation for his presence. 

Yohji pulled himself into a sitting position. "I don’t want the damned tray!" 

"You have to eat, Yohji." 

"Why do I have to eat? She’s dead and you don’t care if I live or die!" 

"That’s not true. We all care." 

"Oh, really? Is that why you haven’t been near me for two fucking days?" 

Aya frowned, confused by Yohji’s words. "I wondered…I thought you might not want to be reminded. I…I didn’t realise you’d taken it as my avoiding you." 

Yohji glared at him. "You know, I’ve been lying here trying to figure out if I would have been so hasty if she’d attacked one of the others. But she attacked you and I had to… absolutely had to stop her." 

Aya could find nothing to say to that. He had wondered if that were the case but thought that he would only make bad worse if he asked or even saw Yohji. Now it seemed he’d done just that by not seeing him. 

He looked around for somewhere to put the tray and, spotting a low table, placed the tray on it. Straightening up he turned to gaze at Yohji again. "Why for me, Yotan?" 

"Because no matter what I do, I can’t get you out of my head. I should be mourning her, wallowing in self hatred, but I can’t. Every time I try, you get in the way. Why do you think that is?" 

"I really don’t know." 

"Don’t you?" Yohji jumped off the bed and approached him like a hunting cat, his very gaze predatory. He backed up a step only to be brought to a halt by the wall. Yohji’s hands landed either side of his head and the Water Vessel leaned in close. "Perhaps because of what we are, or perhaps because I want you so much…I don’t know, either." 

Aya opened his mouth to say more then shut it again. Words would not help Yohji but actions might. He reached up and grabbed Yohji’s head, pulling him down and kissing him. He felt the Water Vessel’s arms go round him, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. 

Aya’s hands strayed to the sash of Yohji’s yukata and he untied it, slipping the garment off of his shoulders. He felt a shudder run through Yohji’s body and broke off the kiss, panting slightly. His gaze moved from Yohji’s face and drifted over the lean plains of his body. His own clenched in anticipation at the sight. 

He gave Yohji a shove that sent him back a few steps towards the futon, before fumbling with the ties of his hakama. 

"Let me," Yohji pleaded and reached out to the ties. 

Aya nodded and stood still as Yohji removed his clothes almost reverently. Finally naked they fell onto the futon and an immediate tussle for dominance began. Aya managed to pin Yohji to the futon and straddled him, effectively keeping him supine, before swooping in for another passionate kiss. He didn’t break off the kiss until Yohji stopped struggling. 

Gazing down into those deep green eyes, he smiled. "Do you honestly believe I’m going to hurt you?" 

Yohji still looked a little dubious but shook his head. "It’s just me. I’m…" 

Aya placed a finger against the Water Vessel’s lips. "I know. You think you’re too dominant. Relax, Yohji, let me show you how it should be." Feeling Yohji finally relax Aya moved slowly down his beautiful body, kissing, nibbling and sucking as he went. He spent time on Yohji’s nipples until they hardened into little brown pebbles. Moving lower he took Yohji’s erection into his mouth, sucking and licking while his hands searched for something to use. 

Finding a bottle, Aya grabbed it and glanced at the label. Moisturising hand lotion, it would do. Still sucking on Yohji, Aya poured some of the lotion into the palm of his hand. Coating a finger, he eased it gently past the entrance to Yohji’s body. A soft gasp from the Water Vessel convinced him that he was enjoying that much. Pulling out and adding more lotion, he inserted two fingers, scissoring gently and stretching Yohji. 

"Fuck, Aya, that feels…." 

He glanced up to find Yohji’s green eyes heavy-lidded with passion. He removed his fingers, added more lotion and inserted three fingers. Yohji whimpered and tried to impale himself on them. 

"Please, Aya, just…please…" 

Feeling the need to be inside him as much as Yohji by this time, Aya spread the rest of the lotion over himself and, letting go of Yohji’s cock, positioned himself. He smiled reassuringly at the Water Vessel. "You ready?" 

"Gods…yes…do it, Aya, please…" 

Needing no further encouragement, Aya eased himself slowly into Yohji a little at a time until he was fully inside him. It was as if they were made for each other, like coming home. Slowly he began to move, searching for that spot that he knew would have Yohji seeing stars. A slight adjustment to the position of his lover’s legs and a hoarse cry from Yohji’s lips let him know when he had found it and he smiled at the beautiful man’s reaction. 

He moved slowly, keeping his thrusts long and steady, hitting that spot as often as he could. Beneath him Yohji arched and writhed, just as sensitive and abandoned as he could have wished. Feeling his balls tighten in the prelude to his climax, he wrapped his hand around Yohji’s erection and stroked firmly a couple of times. Yohji came, moaning his name and he followed a second or two later. 

They both hissed slightly as he pulled out and collapsed onto the futon next to Yohji. Without a word he held out his arms and Yohji moved into them. He ran his fingers through Yohji’s hair, loving the texture of it. A shaky little chuckle from Yohji pulled him back from the brink of sleep. 

"I think you’ve just ruined me for women." 

"Do you mind very much?" 

"As long as you’re here, no, not at all." 

He smiled into the darkening room. "Good."


	7. Chapter 7

Omi frowned when Aya returned quite a considerable time later with the still untouched tray. He was just about to ask what on earth the Fire Vessel had been doing for so long when a tousled but otherwise happy Yohji appeared. Realising it was a good start and having a good idea as to why Yohji was so tousled he shut his mouth on whatever blighting remarks he’d been about to make. Instead he smiled happily. 

"Glad to see you up and about again, Yohji-kun, although I do wish you’d eat something." 

Yohji grinned at him and he only just ducked in time before his hair was ruffled. "I’m sorry, chibi, the food went cold. I’ll eat dinner tonight, though." 

"I’m glad to hear it." Omi snatched the tray out of Aya’s hands and bounced off towards the kitchen. Dumping the untouched food, he smiled to himself. Finally, his two friends had sorted out their disagreements and had shared a bed for the afternoon. Perhaps now they could all concentrate on the serious matter of Takatori Masafumi. 

He was putting away the last of the dishes when the first flashback hit him. The rice bowl slipped out of suddenly nerveless fingers to shatter on the floor. 

The noise brought the others to the kitchen and he came back to himself to find them hovering round him in concern. 

"What happened, Omi?" Ken asked. 

"I’m not entirely sure, Ken-kun. One minute I was putting things away, the next…well this is the next. 

"Do you think something tried to attack you?" Aya asked. 

"No…o. It was more like a buried memory." 

"A memory?" Yohji asked. "Has it come back to you?" 

"I’m not sure, Yohji-kun. It seems to have happened a long time ago and all that I saw was a dark place and some very large and frightening men." He sighed. It was time to tell the others the truth. "I’ll make some tea, and try to explain." 

He turned to find Aya already calmly making tea for them and, sighing, sat at the kitchen table. 

"As Ken knows, I was found in an orphanage when I was about twelve years old. I was fascinated by the idea of the Vessels and was only too happy to go with those old guardians and test for Air. What I don’t remember is how I came to be in the orphanage in the first place, or how long I’d been there." 

Aya placed a bowl of tea in front of him before sitting down with the others to listen. 

"Thanks, Aya. I think that whatever it was I’ve remembered is from the time before the orphanage. What I can’t understand is why it’s happened now." 

"Not a lot we can do unless more memories return to you, chibi." 

"I know, Yohji-kun." He stared down at his tea, still unnerved by what he’d seen. "The guardians said this might happen, that I might get my past returning and that it might be difficult for me. I suppose the fact that Aya is now here and that we’re working together is the reason." 

"As long as it doesn’t happen while we’re dealing with whatever Takatori Masafumi has become," Aya said slowly. 

"Yeah. And now Yotan’s stopped sulking, we really need to think about that one. My stone is counselling haste." 

Aya nodded. "Mine too." 

Omi sighed. His stone had also been pointing out the need for haste. 

* * * * * * * 

Kyouno Nanami yes, that’s who she really was, her real name. Tot was _his_ name for her. She shuddered, trying to remember more; trying to stop the feeling of drowning that _he_ always engendered in her. 

The door opened and the cute boy came in balancing a tray in thin air. She giggled. That was so clever and she wished she could do it. Her giggle brought a shy, answering smile to the boy’s lips and her stomach did a sudden somersault. "What’s your name?" 

"Naoe Nagi. What’s yours?" 

"Kyouno Nanami. I…I…" But then she was drowning again and screamed at him. "Go away and take your stupid tricks and your tray with you!" 

Nagi’s shy smile vanished and she felt ashamed at letting _him_ take over again. "I’m sorry, Nagi, really I am," she managed to say before she went under once more. 

Although his smile didn’t return, Nagi nodded and placed the tray on the floor before leaving. She edged over to it and started to eat the food. She would need her strength. _He_ told her that. 

* * * * * * * 

Takatori Masafumi was in pain. First one of his beautiful creations had been snuffed out like a candle and second his little Tot was trying hard to defy his will. "Betrayed! I am betrayed on all sides! There is no room for more betrayal. I must stand alone!" 

Fury washed through him, and he swelled up in size until the human casing he had worn could no longer stand the strain and fell away revealing him in all his glory. 

Schoen screamed and ran but he reached out a tendril and caught her easily. "Why did you return when the others are gone? Why do I need you anyway?" And he began to squeeze. 

Hel attempted to reach him through the repeated calling of the name of the fool human he had used but he had no use for such pathetic sentimentality and snared her in a second tendril. 

* * * * * * * 

There was a wave of something unearthly, inhuman and totally evil that made Yohji shudder. 

"Dear Gods! What was that?" Omi cried. 

The Vessels joined as One instinctively and the disruption in the very fabric of nature made even the Group Mind stagger. 

/Takatori Masafumi is no longer even vaguely human/ Yohji sent over the link /Though what he is exactly…/ 

/A demon/ Ken sent with conviction. 

/Weapons! Now!/ Aya snapped. 

Although still joined as One three of the Vessels ran for their weapons. Yohji was glad that his was always on his wrist as there was no time to lose. Then he wondered how they were supposed to get their physical bodies and weapons to Takatori Masafumi’s estate 

/Our weapons are magical, Yohji-kun, and so are we./ 

Yohji was about to argue with Omi, when a flash of pure will flowed through the link. Suddenly realising exactly what Aya was attempting he added emotion to the working in the form of a desire to confront the demon. He felt Ken and Omi add their elemental strength to the mix and suddenly he felt like he was flying. Seconds later he was in the main room of Takatori Masafumi’s castle facing a huge, black and scaly monstrosity with tendrils that were still crushing the lives out of two of his women. 

It got confused after that. Omi fired his crossbow and a dart hit the demon and made him howl and let the women go. Yohji flung out his wire and sliced off several tendrils while Ken and Aya got closer and started hacking at the thing. 

A tendril snaked around Aya and lifted him off the ground but the Fire Vessel hacked it off and, rolling, hit the floor again. Omi took the opportunity to fire another bolt into the demon’s hide and Ken ducked under several tendrils to slash the creature’s midriff. 

Yohji sent out more wire, this time looping it round the demon’s neck and snapping it taut. Aya regained his feet and raised the katana, stabbing into the demon’s chest where it’s heart should have been. 

There was a puff of acrid smoke and then all that was left was the body of Takatori Masafumi. Yohji shook his head to clear it and checked the women. Both were as dead as their erstwhile master. 

He glanced up at the other Vessels and wondered if he looked as shocked as they did. Even Aya was wide-eyed with the realisation of what they’d taken on and defeated. Ken was the first to recover. "All right!" he exclaimed and punched the air. 

Omi smiled a little unsteadily. "Come on, Ken-kun, let’s go home." 

Yohji glanced at Aya. "Can we get home the same way as we came? If not it’s gonna be a long walk." 

Aya nodded. "We need to rest up a bit first." 

"Let’s take the opportunity to see if there’s anything here to tell us what that…thing was planning," Omi suggested. 

Yohji grimaced. "Go right ahead, chibi." 

* * * * * * * 

Nagi was about to collect the tray as the world seemed to tilt. He glanced at Crawford to find the older Adept frowning. Just about to ask what was happening, a scream of agony from Nanami had him running to her room. He found her unconscious on the floor. 

Crawford entered the room behind him. "If you want to save her, you’ll need to break the link to her master." 

"I’ve tried. All I could do was make it as weak as possible." Nagi was desperate. He could still see the link in his mind, like a black, slimy trail sending its poison into Nanami’s body. He fought to stop it used every bit of his strength in the endeavour until exhausted he collapsed. 

He came round to find Nanami smiling down at him and stroking his face. He blushed as he realised his head was resting in her lap. "What happened?" 

"You weakened the link enough that her master didn’t take her with him into death." Crawford did not sound very enthusiastic. "Which means, I suppose, that we’re stuck with her!" 

He almost giggled as Nanami glanced up at Crawford and poked her tongue out at him. Crawford sighed and rolled his eyes. 

* * * * * * * 

/Congratulations!/ 

/What the hell do _you_ want?/ 

/Just to thank you for saving the world as we know it./ 

/Hn!/ 

Schuldig sighed. There was just no pleasing some people. He tried again. /I mean it. You did a fine job. Just a pity young Nagi got attached to one of the women. Well, she’s little more than a kid really, but she’s been singing like a lark./ 

/Oh?/ 

/Ah! Now that got your attention! Yes, she’s been telling us what happened to those women and how Masafumi’s magical experiments had backfired on them all./ 

/I assume he conjured a demon he couldn’t control./ 

/Spot on, Fire-boy, that’s exactly what he did. Then thought he was using the demon when it was the other way round./ 

/Stop calling me that! So, is this where we become enemies? You realise, of course, that I will attempt to get my revenge./ 

/That might not be the problem you think it is. Reiji is getting far too big for his geta!/ 

/Says who?/ 

/All in good time, Fire-boy, all in good time,/ Schuldig sent, amused by the Fire-boy’s attitude. Crawford wanted me to let you know that we still need each other and that you will get your revenge./ 

/Good./ 

Schuldig chuckled. /So single-minded./ 

/Get out of my head!/ 

/Okay! I’m going! Sheesh!/ Schuldig opened his eyes and smirked at Brad. "I’ve passed on your message." 

Brad crossed his arms and glared back. "And no doubt upset the Fire Vessel while doing so!" 

"I’ve got to have _some_ fun!" 

* * * * * * * 

Aya wasn’t nearly as upset by Schuldig’s message as he’d pretended. If the Adepts weren’t intending to get in his way over Takatori Reiji it could only be a good thing. Then he got to thinking about it some more and realised that there might well be a catch and that the Adepts would want something in return. He shrugged slightly to himself. He’d deal with that particular problem when it arose. 

He picked his katana up from its stand and sat with it across his knees. If his elemental stone had any information for him on the subject, now would be the time to hear it. /What do I need to do?/ 

/You have a situation to deal with./ The stone’s response was immediate. 

/Another demon?/ 

/One human demon, working on behalf of another. His father’s captives are taken to him and hunted like animals./ 

Aya’s eyes narrowed. /Who is this monster?/ 

/Takatori Hirofumi. I told you, all roads lead to the same destination./ 

Aya nearly dropped the katana in surprise. /Thank you./ 

/There is something else. The link between you all has strengthened the Air Vessel’s will and memory. You will have to be strong when he learns the truth./ 

Aya concentrated hard, desperately wanting to know more about this subject but the stone remained dark and silent. "Takatori Hirofumi," he said aloud. "Prepare to die."


	8. Chapter 8

Ken watched Omi make breakfast the next morning with a slight frown on his face. What his stone had told him last night had seriously creeped him out. Using captives as prey in a hunt was…horrible, disgusting, revolting, all of those yet none of them really came close to the horror he felt. "We have to stop it! What’s wrong with the Takatori family anyway?" 

Omi looked round at him. "Like a lot of samurai clans, the power has gone to their heads, Ken-kun." 

"Yes, but other clans don’t hunt their captives like animals!" 

"Other clans don’t wipe out whole villages just for fun, either," Aya said from the doorway. 

"This must not become personal, Aya-kun." 

"I realise that, Omi, don’t worry." 

Omi nodded and smiled and turned back to his cooking. Ken rested his chin on his hand, thinking back to his own background. His father had always tried to rule his people wisely and fairly, not kill them for fun. Then he remembered his own disgrace and the fact that the dishonour to his name had killed his father. He glanced up at Aya. "My stone told me that the Takatori were behind my own disgrace. They were the ones looking for recruits and it was because of that…" He broke off, still too upset to talk much about it." 

"What happened, Ken?" Aya’s voice was surprisingly gentle and understanding. 

"I was training to be a samurai like my father. He sent me to a prominent warlord of the Koga clan for my training and I worked hard. Then…then I met Kase." He fell silent for a moment, deep in his memories. So deep he didn’t even notice when Yohji joined them and stopped to listen. 

"Kase and I became friends and…eventually, lovers. He was never quite as good as I with the training, never quite as quick to learn. I never realised how jealous he really was. He hated me so much that he…he talked to some of the others who were also less quick and they arranged for my dishonour. I heard, afterwards, that Koga was so proud of their ‘unmasking’ me that he recommended them to the Takatori." 

"Was he one of those that died, this Kase?" Yohji’s voice was chilling enough to make Ken glance up at him. The usually kindly green eyes were full of rage. 

Ken gasped until he realised that the rage wasn’t directed at him but at the people who had betrayed him. "No. But two of the others were. Kase is the type who would make himself useful to the Takatori, not be sent off to guard a younger son." 

"Then I think we may well come across him," Aya said calmly. His eyes were as cold as ice as he spoke, though, and Ken shuddered. 

* * * * * * * 

The flashbacks were getting worse and more frequent. Omi knew that the others were beginning to share them so when the one that revealed his real name hit him he trembled. Aya-kun would hate him now, might even seek to kill him. 

Ken was the first to reach him where he lay, huddled on the courtyard floor, dropped groceries scattered all around him. "Omi! Oh gods, are you all right?" 

"Not really, Ken-kun." He sank into the Earth Vessel’s embrace, too weak with shock to move very far as yet. "Aya-kun, he’s going to hate me." 

"Why should he hate you? You weren’t involved in the destruction of his village." 

"No, but I’m a Takatori, Ken-kun, one of the clan he hates." A shadow fell across them and Omi looked up into Aya’s cold eyes. 

"Takatori," the Fire Vessel growled. 

Ken made a sudden movement as if to defend him but Omi stopped him. "Discarded and unwanted. My own father to arrange my kidnapping…I am Tsukiyono Omi, Aya-kun, and I bear that name with more pride than any other." He held Aya’s gaze with his own, willing the Fire Vessel to see the truth of his statement. 

"And when we go against your brother? What then?" 

"Haven’t I already helped to kill one supposed brother? Why should another be any different?" He sounded so cold, and yet he was a Vessel, having far more in common with Aya than with his blood family. A family who had deliberately left him to die. The flashback indicated that an uncle had rescued him but he didn’t know the man or owe him any allegiance. His home and family were here. 

Aya nodded, finally, and turned to walk away. Omi watched him go with sad eyes, wondering if things could ever be the same between them again. 

* * * * * * * 

"Come on, Aya, give the chibi a break. It’s not his fault." Yohji was so tired of this. Aya needed to realise that as the Water Vessel he was picking up both his anger and Omi’s unhappiness. 

Aya glanced up from his complex ikebana. "I wasn’t aware that I was treating him any differently to normal." 

He snorted. "Then you’re suffering from delusions! Poor kid’s treading on eggshells around you." 

Aya calmly inserted some greenery into his arrangement. "He has no need to do so." 

"You cold-hearted bastard! He’s still Omi, not some enemy!" Gods, he couldn’t believe this. 

"He’s a Takatori, Yohji. The clan who murdered my village and changed your Asuka into Neu. The clan who employed Ken’s betrayers. Do I need to go on?" 

"Listen to yourself, Aya. Both Ken and I have reason to hate the Takatori but we’re not giving Omi the freeze treatment!" 

Aya stared at him then, his eyes full of an emotion that he couldn’t quite place. "If I don’t avoid him, or make him avoid me, I’m afraid I might kill him." He placed the finished ikebana on a shelf for collection and walked out of the shop. 

Yohji watched him go with a terrifying feeling in his gut. Where did that leave them as Vessels? "Kami-sama!" 

* * * * * * * 

Two days later they were watching as a cartload of captives were delivered to the estate of Takatori Hirofumi. Aya had refused to involve himself in the group mind and they had ridden here on hired horses. Seemingly, they were right on time to see another hunt. 

Aya watched as the terrified people were unloaded from the cart and told to run for their lives, his hands clenched into fists. His stone flared to life. 

/Watch carefully and understand why you cannot let your hatred consume you until you destroy the link and thus the world./ 

/What?/ But the stone had gone dark again and he was left to watch as the people spread out and fled. 

Large hunting dogs were released from their kennels and immediately started the chase. Takatori and some like-minded friends mounted horses and went after the dogs. Their first victim was a child, no more than eight, and they watched in orgiastic bliss as the dogs tore the little boy to pieces. 

Aya was shaking with a mixture of anger and total disgust as he watched them run down a young woman. This time they called off the dogs, dismounted and took their turns in raping her before slicing open her belly with a katana and letting the dogs finish her off. 

An old man was next, further out because of their dalliance with the woman. He was lucky. One of them swept off his head with a katana in passing. 

Which left the last of their quarry. A young man who, under other circumstances, would have been beautiful. He had been intelligent enough to cross a stream to cover his scent but somehow they knew which way he’d gone and Aya realised they had to be using magic. When they cornered him he met the same fate as the young woman. 

They went back to the house, laughing as they went. The dogs were penned up again and the estate fell silent apart from the occasional burst of drunken laughter from inside the house. 

Aya edged backwards, out of sight, before standing up. From various locations around him the others appeared. Ken was comforting Omi who was in tears. Aya stared down at the Air Vessel coldly. "Now do you understand why I hate your family?" 

Both Ken and Yohji glared at him, but he didn’t care. Omi was Takatori and that was the end of it. He turned away and walked towards the inn where they were staying. 

* * * * * * * 

Omi made sure that Ken was asleep before crawling out of bed, dressing, picking up his crossbow and creeping out of the inn. He wanted to meet with Takatori Hirofumi and ask him why he did such things before he killed him. 

Even in the dark it didn’t take him very long to reach Takatori Hirofumi’s house. He climbed in through one of the windows and came face to face with the man he now knew to be his brother. 

"What the hell…? Who the devil are you?" Hirofumi lit a candle and held it up to peer at the intruder. He gave a sudden gasp. "Mamoru?" 

Omi shuddered. It was true then. "You…you recognise me?" 

"Yes, you’re my youngest brother, Mamoru. But father said you’d been kidnapped and killed." 

"Someone rescued me, I think." This was so hard. He wanted a big brother, a family but…but…"Why? Why do you do such dreadful things?" 

"You have to understand, Mamoru. What I do here helps our father and political expediency comes at a price." 

"No! I don’t _want_ to understand such cruelty!" 

"Then you’re an idealistic young fool!" 

"I’d rather be that than a killer of innocents." 

"Then why are you carrying a weapon? What are you doing here anyway?" Hirofumi’s face hardened and his eyes narrowed. "You’ve come to spy on me! In fact…you’ve come to kill me!" 

The room was suddenly full of men and Omi was disarmed and had his hands bound. He was strung up by his bound wrists and his shirt cut off him. 

"I’ll teach you to spy on me you little brat…" 

A whip came down on his back and he flinched but refused to cry out. What a fool he had been to come here. 

* * * * * * * 

Ken awoke to a feeling of something not quite right and a colder than usual bed. "Omi?" He sat up and lit a candle. There was no sign of either Omi or his crossbow. "Damn!" 

Ken dressed quickly and hurried to the room that Yohji and Aya were sharing. He shook Yohji awake. 

"Yohji, Omi’s missing. He’s taken his crossbow." 

"What? Oh shit!" Yohji sat up and swung his long legs out of the bed. 

"You don’t think he’s left because…" He glanced at Aya. "…he felt he had to, do you?" 

Yohji frowned and turned to glare at Aya. "What do you think, asshole? You think you finally managed to drive the poor kid away?" 

Aya winced and gazed at the comforter rather than either of them. "I think…he might have gone to see his brother." 

"Why would he have gone alone?" Ken demanded. 

Yohji sighed. "To prove to this idiot that he’s a Vessel and not a Takatori?" he suggested. 

Ken’s eyes narrowed in anger and he shouted at the Fire Vessel. "Oh for fuck’s sake! Get over it, Aya. They left him to die! You really think he loves them for it?" 

"I…" Aya began when Yohji suddenly cried out in pain. 

"Shit, Yohji! What is it?" Ken was frantic. If Yohji was feeling pain that could only mean one thing, Omi was being hurt. 

Yohji gasped for breath. "It’s Omi, of course. We need to help him. And Ken you need to block me from feeling this if I’m to be of any use." 

Ken concentrated and used his power to shield Yohji which wasn’t easy to do with his worry about his lover. The Water Vessel breathed a sigh of relief and he realised he’d succeeded. He set the power and came back into his body to find both Aya and Yohji dressed and ready to go. He was a little startled by Aya’s willingness to go with them but he wasn’t going to argue when Omi’s life could be at stake. 

* * * * * * * 

There was a magician in the house. Aya could feel his power before they even reached the open window from where the sound of leather hitting flesh could be heard. It was a complication but one they would have to deal with for Omi’s sake. 

And how he wished they could Join right now. Instead he signalled to Ken to head towards the window and Yohji to find another window further along. He used his own power to melt the lock on the door and ran on silent feet down the hall to the room where the sounds were. 

He reached the door in time to hear Takatori Hirofumi demand, "Who sent you to spy on me? Which of our enemies do you work for?" 

Then Omi’s voice came, weak but clear. "I despise you. You are not my brother! You couldn’t possibly be." The whip cracked again and slapped against flesh but Aya had heard enough. He forced the Join, absorbing some of Omi’s pain as he did so. /Now!/ 

He charged in through the door as Ken came through the window and Yohji from a side door. Magician or no magician, those in the room didn’t stand a chance. His katana engaged that of a samurai just as Yohji’s wire sang out and Ken’s bugnucks made meaty contact. 

It was a short but vicious little fight but at the end of it, the Vessels were the only men left standing in the room. Aya raised his katana once more and cut Omi down before a single downward sweep sliced though his bonds. 

He felt an overwhelming sense of guilt when Omi gazed up at him with pain-filled eyes and murmured, "Aya-kun. But I…I’m…" 

"No. You’re Tsukiyono Omi." He knelt in front of the wounded Air Vessel and bowed his head. "Forgive me for ever doubting you." 

* * * * * * * 

Omi’s back was more bloody than seriously injured and Yohji didn’t take very long to heal it. When he’d finished and Ken had picked Omi up, ready to carry him back to the inn, he glanced around for Omi’s crossbow. That was when he realised that Takatori Hirofumi wasn’t amongst the dead. In fact he wasn’t in the room at all. 

"Aya, we have a bit of a problem." 

"No we don’t. Look." Aya pointed through the window to the figure quickly mounting a horse. 

Yohji nodded his understanding and jumped through the window, sending out his wire as he did so. It caught Takatori Hirofumi and held him. He felt rather than saw Ken fly past him to bury the blades of his bugnucks in the bastard’s chest. 

He retrieved his wire and turned to find Aya cradling a sleeping Omi in his arms. Ken must have passed the Air Vessel over when he went after the man who’d hurt his lover. 

"So, you gonna stop being a bastard to him now?" 

Aya didn’t answer but he raised a tear-stained face before nodding.


	9. Chapter 9

Takatori Reiji sat staring at nothing. He had been silent and motionless since the news of his eldest son’s death had reached him that morning. Crawford didn’t like this silence one little bit. He had seen horrific visions of what would or could happen when this long period of calm came to an end. The longer Takatori brooded, the worse things would be. 

/Schuldig, warn the Vessels. I’ve just had a vision about them and they need to be away from their shop when Takatori sends his samurai./ 

/I’m on it, Brad. Is our lord and master still sulking?/ 

/Yes but it won’t be long now before he decides on his course of action./ 

/Rather you than me there with him./ Schuldig’s mental voice was honestly relieved. 

/Thank you _so_ much. Now contact the Vessels. We need them alive!/ 

He cut the link and continued to wait patiently. Takatori finally focused on his surroundings. His eyes immediately sought out Crawford. "I want to speak to my brother. Get him here." 

Crawford nodded and went to the door. He exchanged a few words with one of the samurai on guard duty then turned back to see what else his employer required. Takatori, however, remained silent until his younger brother entered the room. 

"You wanted to see me, Reiji?" Shuichi sounded nervous. Crawford sighed very quietly. The man had good reason to be nervous. 

"Yes, Shuichi. As you know, I’ve lost two sons in a very short space of time. I need to think about posterity and who exactly is to follow in my footsteps. I know you rescued Mamoru all those years ago. So tell me, what did you do with him?" 

Shuichi visibly paled. Sweat stood out on his brow and he swallowed hard before licking dry lips. "I took him to an orphanage, told them I’d found him begging for food, and gave him an assumed name." 

"What name?" 

"Tsukiyono Omi." 

Takatori rose to his feet and approached his brother. "Who do you think should follow me, Shuichi? You, or your son? Did you honestly believe I didn’t know about you and Kikuno? Fool!" 

His hand moved and unsheathed his katana in one fluid motion which continued on until Shuichi’s head hit the floor. Takatori nodded in satisfaction then turned to Crawford. "Get that mess cleared up." 

"Did you want me to find the orphanage?" 

"I know exactly to which orphanage he took the brat. I’ll deal with that!" He strode from the room and all Crawford could do was hope Schuldig had convinced the Vessels and arrange for the remains of Takatori Shuichi to be removed. He was beginning to feel like a glorified messenger boy. 

* * * * * * * 

Schuldig had deliberately stayed near to the flower shop. Sooner or later Takatori Reiji would link the place, and the four young men who ran it, to the deaths of his sons and his revenge would be swift and bloody. So, when Brad sent his message, all he had to do was cross the street and enter the shop. 

The Water Vessel looked up from the arrangement on which he was working as he entered. "Welcome to…oh, it’s you." 

For once Schuldig didn’t smirk or make any smart remarks. The Vessels had to take his warning seriously. "You need to grab what you can and leave the shop." 

"Takatori after our blood, is he?" 

"You’d better believe it! He’s pissed as all hell and, like most of his damned family, his sanity is questionable at the best of times. Besides Brad had a vision." 

The other Vessels had appeared in the shop as he had spoken. Their link was obviously as good, if not better, as the one he shared with his fellow Adepts. He immediately watched for the Fire Vessel’s reaction. The others would follow his lead. 

"Do you have any idea how much time we might have?" 

"An hour, two at most. It won’t take him long to figure out who the Air Vessel is and…" He stopped abruptly when another message from Brad reached him. Then he smiled at Omi. 

"Perhaps now isn’t the time but Brad thinks you should know. Takatori Reiji is not your father. Takatori Shuichi, his brother, is your real father. And believe me, kid, he’s not the monster his brother is." 

"Thank you," Omi whispered. 

Schuldig smiled, then shrugged and sighed. "We need to get moving. I left Jei and Nagi in the restaurant across the street. We would be happy to help you." 

Aya nodded. "It would be appreciated." Then, with a sense of shock, Schuldig saw him smile for the very first time. 

* * * * * * * 

The samurai galloped through the city, raising great clouds of dust in their wake. The Vessels watched from the entrance to an alleyway as they passed. 

"Somehow I get the feeling that Takatori is really pissed," Yohji muttered. 

Aya rather hoped that was the case. He wanted the man to suffer, just a little bit, before he killed him. The loss of the warlord’s family might just make him realise how Aya had felt when his own had been mercilessly cut down but somehow he doubted that. Takatori was a monster who had bred two monsters. There would be no room for emotion in such an evil man. 

"Oh no!" 

Omi’s distressed cry made him snap out of his reverie, look round and stare at the Air Vessel in surprise. "What’s wrong?" 

"They’ve stopped at the orphanage. That means he must know about me." 

Aya nodded. "And the adepts helped us to get out of the shop. That will probably be their next visit." 

"At least with their help we had time to get our things out," Ken said. 

Aya nodded. "Yes. Thanks to them we can, and will, start again." The sight of smoke rising and the smell of burning made him frown suddenly. "Damn! They’ve set fire to it. Let’s go!" 

He Joined them and they travelled to the orphanage in their own way, arriving in time to see the samurai galloping away and children screaming as the only home they had went up in flames. The Vessels made sure all the children were accounted for and then joined Omi who knelt sadly by the old lady who had run the place. She had received a katana thrust to the gut. It was a death wound but still she smiled at them and managed to thank them for their help. 

She turned her face to Omi who was crying. "No, no, Omitchi, please, don’t cry. I’ve had a long life and a good one. Promise me that you’ll help the children, please." 

"I will, I promise," Omi said and gently held her hand as she took her last laboured breath. 

Aya turned away, uncomfortable with the thought of witnessing his friend’s grief over a woman who had been like a mother to him. It brought back too many memories of his own mother dying in a similar fashion. 

Several neighbours had reached the scene by now, anxious to stop the fire from spreading to their own property. Aya and the other Vessels rolled up their sleeves and helped to first contain and finally put out the fire. The building was a mess but could be rebuilt given time. 

Right now he had about twenty children and three helpers to worry about. Luckily several people offered to take a child or two until the orphanage was repaired. Aya could only be thankful as it was unlikely that they would have anywhere to take the young refugees. 

Ken’s muttered, "bastards," brought him back to a sense of his surroundings and he saw the smoke rising from the direction of the flower shop. 

"Let it burn," Omi said quietly, having left the dead woman and come up behind them. "We have a Takatori to deal with." 

Yohji nodded his agreement. "It’s not as if he even holds any jurisdiction here. He just comes in and does as he likes no matter who gets hurt. It has to stop." 

"And to kill old women and pick on children," Ken added, "is both cowardly and dishonourable." 

Aya stared at the other Vessels. "Are you actually saying that you want to help me kill Takatori Reiji?" 

"And his damned samurai," Ken snarled. 

"And that bastard Kase, if we can find him," Yohji added. 

"And the inhuman monster who caused all this." Omi gestured at the gutted orphanage. "Even if he is my uncle." 

Aya wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve such loyal friends and he stared at the other Vessels in turn, both humbled and proud at the same time. Finally, he nodded. "We need to find a way to get to him if we’re going to succeed." 

"Don’t our friends, the Adepts, work for him?" Omi asked. "They’ve helped us this far but will they be prepared to turn on their master?" 

"If they’re not, they’ll be tough opponents," Ken commented. He didn’t look happy at the idea of going up against them. 

"If they warned us, and helped save our belongings, why would they suddenly turn on us?" Yohji asked reasonably. 

Aya tended to agree with Yohji. If the Adepts wanted them dead, chances are they would simply have let them be killed at the shop. He wasn’t sure why they wanted them alive but they didn’t seem to be especially loyal to Takatori. "I think we need to talk to them again." 

* * * * * * * 

Schuldig, Nagi and Jei returned to Takatori’s castle to find the place in uproar with samurai mounting up and heading for the city. Nagi’s first thought was for Nanami and he went in search of her. Schuldig’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. 

/Brad and Nanami have been locked up./ 

/Why?/ 

/Brad thinks Takatori has finally gone mad./ 

About to reply, Nagi suddenly found himself facing the point of a katana. He resisted the urge to twist the metal into a complex knot and stood still to await developments. The three of them were herded into a room where Brad and Nanami were waiting despondently. Nagi ran forward and gathered Nanami into his arms. "What happened?" 

"Takatori has decided that we are no longer of any use to him and therefore no longer work for him," Crawford told him. 

"Has he gone mad?" Schuldig demanded. 

"Perhaps. He is determined to find and kill the Air Vessel and any that may be with him. He was not happy when he heard the shop was deserted." 

"So what does he intend to do with us?" Nagi asked still with an arm round Nanami’s waist. "Does he really believe the Elders will allow this?" 

"He believes himself strong enough to break his oath to them." 

"Then he’s stupid!" 

"Very," Crawford agreed, "not only has he made enemies of the Vessels but also the Elders and therefore us. You’re right, Nagi, he is stupid." 

"So, are we just going to sit here and let him terrorise the countryside until he finds the Vessels?" Schuldig asked. 

"No, we’re going to sit here until the Vessels come for him." 

"They are coming then?" 

"Oh yes. Schuldig, please let them know what is happening here. They need to know what they’re walking into." 

Nagi felt his anger grow at Takatori. His lack of control over his sons had nearly caused Masafumi to destroy the world in demon form and now he was turning against everyone. "Do we help the Vessels?" he asked. 

"We won’t need to," Crawford told him.


	10. Chapter 10

All appeared to be still and quiet as the Vessels approached Takatori’s castle. They had travelled through the Join and now stood on top of a small rise overlooking the grandiose residence. Ken wondered if Kase was among the samurai that he knew had to be in there somewhere, along with the Adepts. All in all they had a lot of heavy duty foes to face tonight. 

He shuffled uncomfortably before quieting again, unwilling to draw attention to himself or have to admit he was nervous. He felt a soothing touch on his arm and turned to find Omi smiling at him. He grinned back, suddenly determined to make sure no harm came to his young lover, Takatori or not. 

The metallic sound of Aya’s katana being drawn from its saya reminded him that he needed to don his bugnucks. He worked his fingers into the glove, his hand in a loose fist around the green stone of Earth. 

"Let’s go." Aya’s deep voice was calm and quiet and somehow soothed him even more. There was work to be done. The final member of an evil and insane family to be dealt with. Vengeance to be claimed. 

The courtyard and stables were almost deserted, most of Takatori’s samurai having ridden off, presumably to search for Omi. Ken gave a little grunt of satisfaction. It made their job so much easier. 

There were two samurai standing guard at the door. A quick toss of Yohji’s wire and a bolt from Omi’s crossbow made short work of them and Ken moved forward only to be brought up short by Aya’s hand on his shoulder. 

"Wait a moment, we need a diversion." He concentrated on his stone and directed a beam of pure energy from it to one of the piles of hay just outside the stables. The dry material caught almost immediately. 

Ken nodded his approval. "That should keep them busy for quite a while." 

Aya grunted and led the way into the castle. They were met by a group of four samurai. The sight of one of them made Ken gasp out loud and he darted forward, bugnucks swinging. The samurai fell clutching at his abdomen. He gazed up at Ken and his eyes widened in horror. 

Ken stared down at him. "We’re even now, Kase." 

Kase’s eyes narrowed. "See you in hell, Ken." 

Ken turned away, tears in his eyes. "I’ve already been there." 

The other Vessels had taken care of the rest of the samurai and Omi’s tentative hand on his arm brought Ken back to a sense of his surroundings. He took a deep breath and nodded at the Air Vessel. He would be fine. 

* * * * * * * 

Yohji followed Aya, who was storming through the castle like a one man tornado, determined to watch the Fire Vessel’s back. He wasn’t given a great deal to do as the katana in his lover’s hands carved a swathe through anyone who got between him and Takatori Reiji. 

Realising that the rest of them were just slowing Aya down he concentrated on clearing a path for the redhead instead. Omi and Ken seemed to realise what he was doing for they soon joined him in taking on the samurai, leaving Aya free to find Takatori. 

* * * * * * * 

Crawford glanced up from his examination of the floor as Takatori Reiji burst into the room accompanied by four of his samurai. The man looked shaken and his first words bore this out. "You have to help me!" 

Schuldig leaned back against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. "Well, well, aren’t you fickle!" For once Crawford had to agree with his irritating lover. 

"We’re under attack!" 

Crawford shook his head. "We no longer work for you, Takatori. Remember?" He stood up and motioned to the others. It was time to leave. 

"I can offer you money, power." 

"It doesn’t interest us." 

"What do you want then?" 

"Nothing that you can give us." 

"What the hell does that mean?" 

Nagi passed him, hand firmly entwined with Nanami’s. Jei followed, one of his knives held menacingly. Schuldig went so far to pat the idiot on the shoulder. 

"It means you’re on your own," Crawford said and followed the other Adepts out of the room. 

* * * * * * * 

Omi had soon picked up on Yohji’s plan to take out the samurai, leaving Aya free to find his fa…uncle, so it came as a bit of a shock when he turned a corner and almost bumped into the fleeing warlord. Firing a bolt through one of the accompanying samurai, he gazed up at the man who had caused so much grief to him and his brother Vessels. "Why?" 

"You have no right to speak to me!" Takatori appeared furious that he would even dare. 

Omi’s blue eyes narrowed and he glared back at his relative. "You disgust me. Go on, run. Run to your fate." It didn’t matter that tears were streaming down his cheeks. For the first time in his young life, Omi was feeling pure hatred and it hurt. 

Takatori ran on, trying to avoid the death that was waiting for him and Omi cried for what might have been or should have been. 

* * * * * * * 

His samurai falling like leaves around him Takatori ran on. Aya guessed that he would head towards the stables and try to get away on horseback so he made his way to the courtyard, still lit by the blaze from the straw he’d set fire to earlier. 

He didn’t have long to wait. Takatori flew out of the door and into the courtyard, coming to an abrupt halt when he saw him standing there, katana in hand. 

The warlord’s eyes narrowed. "Who are you and what do you want of me?" 

"I am Fujimiya Aya and I want you to die just as my family died at your hands." 

Takatori drew his own katana and stepped forward. "Pathetic. If you really can use that sword I could make a place for you. Repay you for your loss." 

"You can never repay what you owe to me. You cannot return either my parents or my sister to life so stop talking and fight if you’ve the stomach for it." 

Takatori stepped forward and lunged, surprisingly agile for a man of his bulk. Aya side-stepped the lunge and parried. The man was strong, he’d give him that. He jumped over a careless swing and narrowly avoided an overhead blow by bringing his own blade up at the last minute. 

Both men stepped back. Those few exchanges had given them the measure of each other, Aya realised, but he still had a few tricks up his sleeve. 

"You’re good, I’ll grant you that. You’ve been taught well." 

"Well enough to finish you. Enough talking!" He rushed forward, swinging the katana in a wide arc. Takatori blocked and tried for a thrust to the body. Aya brought his blade low to block once more. They stepped back once more. Takatori edged towards the stables. 

Aya saw his opening and charged forward, katana held as if for an overhead blow. Takatori moved to block and Aya brought his blade down at the last second and drove it through the warlord’s body. 

"Bested by a peasant, ridiculous! Quite ridicu…" Takatori’s lifeless corpse crumpled at Aya’s feet. 

He stood there expecting to feel something at the death of his hated enemy but all he felt was empty. Killing the man hadn’t brought back his parents or the smiling face of his sister. The void left by their deaths remained unfilled. 

A hand on his shoulder made him look up. Yohji stood gazing at him, serious for once, his green gaze understanding. "Come on, Aya, let’s go home." 

He retrieved his blade from Takatori’s body and allowed Yohji to lead him back to where the other Vessels waited. He took a deep breath, remembering. "We have no home." 

"We can rebuild," Omi said. 

"And we’ve been offered accommodation for tonight," Ken added. 

Aya looked beyond the other Vessels to see the four elderly magicians smiling at him. His eyes widened in surprise. 

*Make the Join and follow us. We have much to discuss.* 

Aya did as he was bid and the Vessels found themselves at the mountain home of the old men. They were given food and beds for the night and told that more would be revealed to them in the morning. Exhausted as they were, the Vessels didn’t argue. 

Their guardians, or whoever the ancients might be, seemed to know that they had paired into two couples for they gave them two separate rooms after they’d eaten. Aya sank thankfully onto the large futon he would be sharing with Yohji. "I should sharpen my katana." 

"Do it in the morning while the old ones tell us whatever it is they want us to hear. You’re exhausted, Aya. You need sleep. The sword can wait." 

"You could be right. Yohji, did you feel any better after Takatori Masafumi died? Did it make up for what had happened with Asuka?" 

"Not really." Yohji sank onto the bed beside him and laid back, arms behind his head. "I’m guessing that Takatori’s death wasn’t the cure for your grief that you thought it might be." 

"I just feel empty, Yohji. The logical part of me knows that I’ve done the world a favour but it doesn’t seem to matter." 

"You feel empty because that’s where the rage was. Now it’s gone and it’s left a hole. I can feel the difference in you." 

Aya lay down next to Yohji and curled against him. He was so warm. It eased some of the emptiness. "How am I supposed to fill it?" 

"That I don’t know, Aya. Perhaps the old ones can answer you." 

"Perhaps." He felt Yohji move slightly and his arms enfold him. Sighing softly he fell asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Yohji awoke the following morning to find Aya still asleep in his arms. He gazed at the beautiful Fire Vessel and wondered, not for the first time, what it was that Aya saw in him. He was nothing special, not compared to the man in his arms. 

He had never regretted becoming Aya’s lover and had been completely faithful to him since their first getting together. He found that he didn’t feel the need to be in control with Aya either and that he was content to play a more submissive role. 

His thoughts were interrupted as Aya stirred and opened his eyes, blinking at him as he came to full awareness. "Good morning." 

Aya glanced round the unfamiliar room, frowning until he settled again, obviously realising where they were. "We should get up. It wouldn’t be polite to keep the old ones waiting." 

Yohji nodded. "I was afraid you’d say that. You’re right though. We need to listen to what they have to say. After that we have a flower shop to rebuild. Quite a busy day." 

"Kudoh…" Aya growled warningly, apparently not in the mood for silliness. "Let’s go." 

"Yes sir!" 

They dressed quickly and went to look for their hosts and the other Vessels. They found them sat round a low table ready to eat. The old ones smiled as they joined them. 

"Welcome, sit, eat, be comfortable and listen to what we have to tell you." 

Yohji found himself obeying without even thinking about it. He helped himself to rice and fish and listened as they spoke in turn. 

"You have met and even been assisted by the Adepts that once worked for Takatori Reiji. You even consider them your friends. This is a possibility but there are others." 

"Debts owed to them will have to be repaid. They strive for freedom and must be allowed to win it." 

"One of them may fall into the abyss. If that happens then woe to the world. You must prevent that." 

"Get in the way of their quest for freedom and you could die at their hands. They must be freed from their shackles." 

This was all well and good, Yohji thought, but what did they have to be freed from and what was this talk of an abyss about? Seeing the frown on Ken’s face and the look of bemused concentration on Omi’s, he realised he wasn’t the only one who was confused. 

"We are prepared to help them and to repay our debt to them," Aya said, "but we need more information." 

Their hosts seemed to relax at his words and the one he always regarded as their leader spoke. "There are always Adepts in the world when there are Vessels. Sometimes they work with the Vessels, sometimes against them. It always depends on those who brought them forth." 

"This time they were brought forth by the Elders of a strange, magical group called Essett. There were originally four of them, but one, their leader, died at the hands of the last group of vessels." 

Yohji gasped. "But that would mean they’re over two thousand years old." 

"Yes, they are well over that. Nearer three thousand. The last Vessels killed both their Adepts and their leader, weakening them considerably." 

"And the Adepts that we know work for them?" Omi asked. 

"Yes, but they are different to most Adepts that have come before them. They actually want freedom from these Elders. Instinctively they feel the evil that bringing back the Elders’ leader would unleash upon the world." 

Another of the old ones took up the tale. "Doubtless the Elements have informed you of the Balance. If it tips too much one way or the other, then the whole fabric of nature falls apart. The world ends. Takatori Masafumi called forth a demon that eventually controlled him. He would have toppled the Balance one way. If the Elders get their way, they will topple it in the other direction." 

"You must aid the Adepts to achieve their freedom. You must destroy the rest of the Elders between you." 

And that gave them a lot to chew over, Yohji realised. While he was able to acknowledge how useful the Adepts had been to them, trusting them was another matter entirely. He glanced around the other Vessels and saw they were as confused and uncomfortable as he was. 

"They are mischievous spirits, we know, but there is no reason for you to distrust them on this matter. Believe us when we say that they will need to trust you, that they will need your aid." 

"But for now, you have a much loved shop and home to rebuild. Listen to your Elements through the stones. They will not lead you astray." 

The four elderly men rose to their feet and left them to finish their breakfast in peace. None of them spoke, but Yohji could feel their minds working, just as his was, taking in this new information and wondering how best to proceed. 

* * * * * * * 

It was upsetting to see the burned out wreck of what had once been a thriving flower shop and their home. So upsetting, in fact, that Omi was almost in tears. Ken placed a comforting arm round his lover’s shoulders. "Don’t worry, Omi, we can soon rebuild. Maybe even make some improvements." 

"You really think so, Ken-kun?" 

"Of course I do! We saved all our belongings, didn’t we? And our savings. Some good seasoned wood and we’ll be well away, right Yotan?" He caught Yohji’s eyes, frowning direly at him as he tried to get his thoughts across, upbeat for Omi’s sake. 

Yohji appeared to catch on. "Yeah, with any luck we’ll be sleeping under a roof tonight." 

Aya turned to stare at them both. "Don’t be ridiculous. It’ll take weeks to rebuild. But we have enough to stay at an inn in the meantime." 

"Aya!" Why couldn’t the Fire Vessel play along and help to cheer Omi? 

"What? You expect me to lie for you just to save Omi’s feelings? He can see for himself that it will take time." 

"Yes, I can," Omi said, straightening his sagging shoulders and looking very determined. "So instead of standing here talking about it, we need to be visiting the builders and getting quotes and materials, don’t you think?" 

Suitably abashed, Ken agreed and they headed off to look into the rebuilding of their home.


End file.
